MSC`s north Europe port focus eyed as Le Havre returns to normal

Time:2011-07-26 Browse:51 Author:RISINGSUN

REASONS for the good throughput numbers last year out of Antwerp, Rotterdam, Bremerhaven and Hamburg despite weak European demand have partly been attributed to labour troubles Le Havre and Marseilles last year causing cargo diversion to trouble-free ports.

Now that troubles are over, not only is rebalancing in underway, there are also shifts in north European port preference are also expected. One keenly watched by London`s Containerisation International are moves contemplated by Geneva`s Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).


"MSC continues to keep its cards very close to its chest on its expansion plans in Antwerp, but rumours still abound that an agreement has been reached with PSA that allows traffic from MSC`s Home Terminal (in which PSA is involved) to overflow into PSA`s Europe terminal on the river side of the Delwaide lock," said CI.


"On the other hand, MSC`s involvement in ECT`s deep-water Dedicated North Terminal in Rotterdam also appears to be growing, suggesting that some of the overflow is being diverted there.


"This may be one of the reasons why Antwerp`s container traffic only grew by 4.3 per cent in the first six months of the year compared to the same period of 2010, up to 4.4 million TEU, the report said.


There could be other reasons however, including the transfer of traffic back to Le Havre and Marseilles-Fos now that the French ports` labour problems are over, and that Europe`s economic growth is slowing. Antwerp`s first quarter traffic of 2.2 million TEU was the same as it was in the prior year corresponding quarter, despite the first three months of the year normally being very quiet, CI said.


Rotterdam`s year-on-year growth is likely to be little different to the 11.5 per cent in as yet unreported second quarter results as it was in the first quarter. Le Havre container cargo measured in tonnes increased 21 per cent in the second quarter, marking a return to growth absent during the labour disruption days.