Freight volumes through the Port of Dover have reached record levels for the fifth consecutive year, the company said in its press release.
The Port handled 2,601,162 lorries in 2017 - up on the previous record by almost 10,000 units. It brings the total increase over the last five years to just under 650,000 units or 33% per cent.
The latest figures, released today, also underline the need for a post-Brexit trade deal that ensures continued traffic fluidity at this crucial export/import gateway which handles up to 17% of the UK’s entire trade in goods worth up to an estimated £122 billion last year. As Europe’s busiest ferry port, there remains no substitutable capacity elsewhere in the UK to handle Dover’s trade volumes.
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) – one of the UK’s largest trades associations, representing the interests of companies moving goods by road, rail, sea and air – echoed Mr Waggott’s calls on post-Brexit trade requirements.