Port freight statistics: 2010 final figures

Publisher:Department for Transport
Published date: 22 September 2011
Type:Release
Series:Ports
Statistics topic:Freight domestic, Freight international, Maritime

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Summary

This publication presents final detailed statistics on freight handled by major UK ports. It updates and expands on provisional statistics published in June. These outputs replace the port freight statistics previously published in the Maritime Statistics compendium. A look-up table cross-referencing tables from Maritime Statistics and other printed publications with the new web tables is available with the tables below.

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Key points

  • In 2010, total freight traffic through UK ports was 512 million tonnes (Mt), an increase of 2 per cent on 2009, but still 12 per cent below the 2005 level.
  • Compared with 2009 inwards traffic increased by 3 per cent to 312 Mt whilst outwards traffic increased by 1 per cent to 199 Mt.
  • Grimsby and Immingham remained the UK’s leading port in 2010, handling 54 Mt (11 per cent of UK traffic). It was followed by London with 48 Mt (9 per cent), Milford Haven with 43 Mt (8 per cent) and Southampton with 39 Mt (8 per cent).
  • In 2010, UK major ports handled 15.4 million freight units, an increase of 6 per cent on 2009. They also handled 6.3 million passenger vehicles, an increase of 1 per cent on 2009.
  • Dover, the top port for ro-ro freight, handled 2.1 million roro main freight units (road goods vehicles, unaccompanied trailers and shipborne port-to-port trailers). Felixstowe was the UK’s largest container port, handling 2.1 million containers.

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Technical information

Information on port freight statistics, including the pre-release access list, and related technical documentation are available at:

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