THE French Port of Marseilles has experienced a 35 per cent increase in container volume in June compared to the same month a year ago on the back of new services and less worker strikes.
The Port of Marseilles handled 72,308 TEU last month, up from 53,408 TEU in June 2008. This result also helped to push up first half box volume by 3 per cent to 435,396 TEU.
Overall traffic declined by 7 per cent in June to 6.87 million tones. This is described as being a significant improvement over the 23 per cent year on year decline seen in May that left first half volume 10 per cent lower at 41.4 million tonnes, down from 47.6 million tonnes in the first half of 2008, reports the Journal of Commerce Online.
It said that the increase in box volumes comes after dockers staged rolling strikes in the first half of last year, to protest government plans to reform French ports. Following a quiet start to this year, the threat of strikes is looming again.
But "even if part of the growth is due to the low level of cargo in June 2008, it remains a positive sign in the context of the global economic crisis," the Marseilles Port Authority was cited as saying.
The jump in box volumes were also attributed to the launch of new container shipping services from the port by CMA CGM, Maersk Line, MSC and Turkon.
The report added that general cargo decreased by 10 per cent to 1.17 million tonnes in June, down from 1.29 million tonnes in 2008, with first half traffic down also by 10 per cent to 7 million tonnes.
The Port of Marseilles handled 72,308 TEU last month, up from 53,408 TEU in June 2008. This result also helped to push up first half box volume by 3 per cent to 435,396 TEU.
Overall traffic declined by 7 per cent in June to 6.87 million tones. This is described as being a significant improvement over the 23 per cent year on year decline seen in May that left first half volume 10 per cent lower at 41.4 million tonnes, down from 47.6 million tonnes in the first half of 2008, reports the Journal of Commerce Online.
It said that the increase in box volumes comes after dockers staged rolling strikes in the first half of last year, to protest government plans to reform French ports. Following a quiet start to this year, the threat of strikes is looming again.
But "even if part of the growth is due to the low level of cargo in June 2008, it remains a positive sign in the context of the global economic crisis," the Marseilles Port Authority was cited as saying.
The jump in box volumes were also attributed to the launch of new container shipping services from the port by CMA CGM, Maersk Line, MSC and Turkon.
The report added that general cargo decreased by 10 per cent to 1.17 million tonnes in June, down from 1.29 million tonnes in 2008, with first half traffic down also by 10 per cent to 7 million tonnes.