Marseille Fos posts 6% drop in first half cargo handling

The port handled 583,287 teu of container traffic in H1, an increase of 7% over the same period in the previous year. Meanwhile dry bulk cargo increased by 8% to 6.75m tonnes, which consisted of 4.83m tonnes in ore imports, a 12% increase, and 540,000 tonnes of agro-bulk, an 11% increase.

Marseille also expects a “new trade in fertilisers” to amounting to 150,000 tonnes throughout the year, according to a press statement.

However, increases were mitigated by a fall in the handling of crude oil and petroleum products, which dropped 13% to 20.85m tonnes, while LNG handling fell 30% to 2.1m tonnes and LPG was 6% down, to 980,000 tonnes. Refined products, however, rose by 24% to 6.45m tonnes, and exports of soda, benzene and ethylene pushed liquid chemicals and agro-products to a 7% increase.

The fall in oil trading was described by Marseille as “in line with market trends”.

Ro-ro fell cargoes, meanwhile, fell 6% to 1.84m tonnes following January and June industrial disputes at ferry operator SNCM.