Container volume at the Port of Marseille-Fos fell 25 percent in the first two months of 2009.
It was part of a port-wide cargo malaise that officials blame on global economic woes. Container traffic volume fell to 127,991 TEUs in the January-February period, while container traffic by weight fell even further -- by 31 percent to 1.16 million tons. Roll-on/roll-off traffic dropped 18 percent to 550,000 tons. General cargo slumped 31 percent to 1.94 million tons.
Breaking out the container drops further, the port saw volume from deepsea services decline 21 percent to 95,668 TEUs, while volume from local and feeder services fell 33 percent to 32,303 TEUs.
American Shipper