Focus on ports: 2006

Introduction

This report is the second in the Focus on Ports series (the first edition was published in November 2000). It gives comprehensive statistical information about commercially active UK ports, including trends in traffic since the 1960s for unitised cargo types such as containers, road goods vehicles and trailers, and by broad commodity groups such as crude oil and oil products, ores, coal and general cargo. It gives information about individual ports around the coast including details about ownership, type of operation carried out, and the sorts of traffic handled. The report also includes information on UK port employment and accident rates.

Around 95 per cent by volume and 75 per cent by value of the UK's international trade is transported by sea. In 2004 total UK imports across all transport modes were valued at £249 billion and exports at £191 billion, which indicates that approximately £330 billion of the UK's international trade was moved through its seaports. The UK ports industry is the largest in Europe in terms of freight tonnage, handling a total of 573 million tonnes of foreign and domestic traffic in 2004. Each year around 50 million international and domestic passenger journeys are made through UK ports.

Publication details

We would welcome comments on the content and presentation of Focus on Ports, and suggestions for improvement. Please send these to:

Steve Wellington
Zone 2/29
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London, SW1P 4DR.

telephone 020 7944 4131
E-mail:steve.wellington@dft.gov.uk

Published by Palgrave Macmillan (on behalf of DfT) on 26 January 2006, 
available by telephone order on +44 (0) 1256 302 866 or e-mail on orders@palgrave.com

Price: £40

ISBN: 0-230-00215-3
For information about the release of this product see National Statistics Online