The British Ministry of Transport recently reported a 5% annual increase in freight volumes at major ports from January to March 2025, totaling 107.4 million tons. While outgoing tonnage rose slightly by less than 1% to 34.6 million tons, internal shipments surged by 7% to 72.8 million tons. Additionally, uniform traffic increased by 3% to 4.8 million units, with unitized traffic rising by 2% to 21.3 million units.
In the second quarter of 2025, liquid mass goods jumped 6% to 41 million tons, driven by a significant 31% rise in Milford Haven due to increased LNG traffic. London saw a 16% rise in container volumes, totaling 18.2 million tons. However, dry bulk cargoes fell by 4% to 19 million tons due to a substantial 99% decline at Port Talbot following the closure of blast furnaces in September 2024.
The RO-RO freight category grew by 4% to 23.6 million tons. Despite this, operational issues at ports like Tyne and Holyhead led to an 8% decrease in RO-RO units. The Department for Transport highlighted ongoing concerns about Brexit and energy sector changes affecting freight volumes in Great Britain.
