The update from the DfT states that inward tonnage decreased by 4% to 74 million tonnes, while outward tonnage decreased by 2% to 36.3 million tonnes.
On the flip side, the total volume of unitised traffic (which includes passenger vehicles) increased by 5% to 5.4 million units, with inward units increasing by 6% to 2.9 million units and outward units increasing by 4% to 2.5 million units.
When comparing the rolling year to June 2023 with June 2022 through UK major ports, total tonnage decreased by 2% to 442.6 million tonnes. Total volume of unitised traffic also increased by 6% to 20.5 million units.
According to the data, the gap to the equivalent quarter in 2019 for tonnage traffic shrank slightly, to 6%, but remains below 2022 figures. The DfT also indicated that the gap would likely not be bridged in the future due to Brexit.
“There is some evidence that tonnage is not likely to reach 2019 levels, following the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) exit from the European Union (EU), with the OBR Brexit analysis assuming that UK-EU trade will be around 15% lower in the long run than if the UK had remained in the EU. The OBR’s latest evidence on the impact of Brexit on UK trade, published in March 2022, also finds that the UK appears to have become a less trade intensive economy, with trade as a share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) falling 12% since 2019, the largest fall of any G7 country.” states the DfT’s latest Port freight quarterly statistics report.
The top 3 UK ports with the largest overall increases and decreases in tonnage handled from Q2 2022 to Q2 2023, segmented by cargo group
Table: UK Department for Transport
The DfT’s report also covered which ports have seen increases and decreases in Q2 2023 compared to the same period a year before. The table shows how Dover and Holyhead recorded significantly more Ro-Ro freight year-on-year, while Medway had seen freight volumes rise across the board.
Despite this, Ro-Ro freight tonnage has decreased by 2% to 23.7 million tonnes when comparing Q2 2023 with the same quarter in 2022. Grimsby and Immingham port contributed most to this decrease, with a 0.6 million tonne (15%) fall since Q2 2022. Ro-Ro freight units have increased by 2% (44,000 units) over the same period. This increase was driven by a rise of 119,000 units at Dover.
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