French port reform hangover spells mixed results at Marseilles-Fos

Cargo throughput at the port of Marseilles-Fos in France totalled 64.27 million tonnes to the end of August, a one percent drop on the first eight months last year.

Strong performances in the oil and liquid bulk sectors could not offset the impact of industrial action from mid-April to the end of June over the French government’s port reform proposals. Container traffic suffered most, slumping 16 percent at 5.6MT and 551,000TEU – with key east-west volumes handled at Fos falling 22 percent to 366,000TEU. The box deficit left general cargo eleven percent worse for the period on 10.36MT, although ro-ro traffic rose three percent to 3MT due to growth from North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. Oil and oil products throughput improved two percent to 42MT. Sustained demand for pipeline deliveries to Germany and Switzerland saw crude imports rise two percent to almost 30MT, while refined products were up seven percent on 8.35MT. Also maintaining previous gains, liquid bulks rose 16 percent to 2.56MT – boosted by 0.6MT (+61 percent) in bio-fuels – but dry bulks fell four percent to 9.26MT due to an eight percent drop in steel industry ore imports, which represent two-thirds of the trade. Passenger volumes slipped one percent to 1.455 million. The total on ferry services to Corsica and North Africa - down six percent to 1.13 million passengers – was affected by declining Algerian demand, which fell 18 percent to 278,000. But cruise volumes rose 22 percent to 327,000 for the eight months and by 40 percent to 75,000 passengers in August alone. Home port embarkations now represent a quarter of the Marseilles total – up 43 percent year on year and 143 percent for the month – and have become the main driver of the port’s cruise business.
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