After two years’ growth in 2017 and 2018 which made that HAROPA seaborne traffic rose to 95 Mt, the growth continues in a dynamic way at the beginning of the year 2019. At end of May, HAROPA seaborne trade recorded a 5.1% overall growth with 40 Mt. This growth can be explained by the momentum of container, dry bulk and liquid bulk trades. The strong increase in river traffic by 55 % as a whole is also to be noted (figure as at end of April).

Containers: + 4%

Container trade strongly rose in TEU (+4%) with 1.2 M TEU and in tonnage (+4%) with 12 Mt. It’s worth noting that activity in April was a record: it has been the best month for more than 5 years on this trade, both in tons and in TEU. This rise is mainly carried in Le Havre by the hinterland traffic (+3.2%) and especially hinterland full container traffic (+2.4%). Transhipment traffic also increased (+10%).

The goods figures can be explained by the development of the shipping services offered by HAROPA (especially within the framework of shipowners’ alliances), by the increase of the number of feeder services, as well as by the rising strength of the multimodal modes. The logistics offer of the ports of the Seine corridor thus confirms its attractiveness, such as illustrated by the success encountered by the tenders launched in Le Havre (PLPN3) and in Rouen (RVSL Amont).

Nota: the continuous rise of the multimodal terminal in Le Havre which handled 32,000 TEU from January to April 2019; this 12% increase confirms the 7% growth already recorded in 2018.

Liquid bulk cargo: + 7%

Traffic is on the rise with 20.5 Mt. Crude oil increased (+3.1%) despite the accident happened on the pipeline connecting the refinery of Grandpuits, and refined products increased by 11.1%, in connection with traders resuming the imports of products.

Dry bulk cargo: + 8%

Good dry bulk figures (6 Mt) are mainly related to grain which rose by 9.3% with 3.8 Mt. At April 30th, grain tonnages exported from Rouen record 6.7 Mt (for the current season) that is nearly the same tonnage as for the whole past season (6.9 Mt). This exceptionally high rise is partly due to the competitiveness of the prices of French cereals and to the availability of high-quality wheats in the Rouen hinterland.

River traffic on the rise (figures available as at end of April)

Fostered by the development of container flows in Le Havre, by the volume of grain exports in Rouen and by the building sector in the Ile-de-France (Paris) area (*), river traffic - studied in comparison with the 2018 benchmark period impacted by the river flood – strongly increased with an overall 55% rise (measured in tonnes handled in the ‘Ile-de-France’ region). To and from the port of Le Havre, river traffic of sea containers with Rouen and the Ile-de-France region rose by 14.5% (measured in TEU containers).

(*) +70% for Building and Civil Works (‘BTP’) river traffic in the Ile-de-France region (5 Mt).