Port of London trade declines 16%

The largest decline of almost 25% was seen in unitised goods, which includes containers and ro-ro, which at 6.1m tonnes dropped 2m from the 8m tonnes handled last year. All areas of activity saw declines, although oil trades were the most resilient, falling only 9%.

“The performance of the Port is closely linked to the health of the economy and the fall in economic activity has inevitably depressed port trade. London handles a diverse range of goods and this has helped offset the worst effects of recession,” said PLA chief executive, Richard Everitt.

“It is too early to say whether we are starting to turn a corner in port trade. During July, ship numbers were up by 40 compared to June, but still 100 lower than June 2008,” he added.