Dunkerque focusses on the future

Two areas saw growth; dry bulks, which recorded a 2% increase, while general cargoes rose by a total of 4% to 16.24m tonnes, primarily made up of a 10% increase in Ro-Ro traffic as a result of continuing strong cross-channel traffic a trend begun in 2011; a total of more than 560,9000 trucks and trailers passed through the facility. However, this was balanced by a five per cent decline in container throughput at 260,000 teu.

Commercial Director, Daniel Deschodt, told CM, “We have seen an increase in export trade, which now accounts for 30% of all teu handled, while in line with other global economies, our import teu traffic stands at 12%”.

Ironically the port saw an increase in the number of container ship calls, with the arrival in June last year of the CMA CGM Europe Pakistan India Consortium (EPIC) weekly service. This joined the LION Asia-Europe service, jointly operated by CMA CGM and MSC.