Port of Marseilles seeking to increase north/south trade

Port of Marseilles seeking to increase north/south trade    The Port of Marseilles Authority is acting to stem a drop in general cargo traffic through the Marseilles eastern harbor area, where declining volumes on north/south and Mediterranean trades are in stark contrast to growth on east/west services handled in the Fos western harbor area, the port said Friday.
   A working group comprising PMA and shipowners' representatives has produced a study detailing the current market — where North Africa services represent 70 percent of business outside Corsica trades — together with terminal performance data and past/projected financial returns.
   The results will form the basis of an action plan designed to stabilize volumes in the short term and bring about the conditions for future growth. The initiative adds to the work of a special Eastern Harbor Commission set up last September to reverse the current slump.