MSI Data Report: Commercial Ports: UK

During this period, the volume of trade handled in the UK suffered due to capacity constraints at ports such as Southampton and the outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease which prompted a decline in the volume of certain dry bulk materials such as cereal.

For the purposes of this report MSI segmented the market for commercial ports by foreign and domestic traffic, type of cargo, and region, discovering that English ports accounted for 65% of UK volume in 2002. In recent years, commercial port traffic through ports in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has declined.

Competition within the UK commercial ports industry has increased, with port authorities embarking on significant investment projects during the review period in order to compete with other British ports as well as those on the Continent.

MSI has established that factors affecting UK port investment include not just competition and the resulting need to boost capacity and efficiency through modernisation but also the diversity of trade, end user requirements, regulatory change, government targets and transport policies.

The report contains a chapter analysing capital expenditure by type of project, identifies factors affecting investment and provides investment forecasts.

Opportunities for suppliers are identified and there are profiles of six trust ports as well as seven privately operated ones.

MSI Data Report: Commercial Ports: UK
Researched and published by MSI Marketing Research for Industry Ltd.
Paperback, 105 pages.
Price: Available to MJ readers for £427.50 (normally £475). Phone 0800 195 6756 for details.