Three million containers and an estimated €135 billion worth of merchandise trade were handled at Irish ports last year, according to a report published last week by the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) of the Marine Institute.

The latest figures, published in the Irish Maritime Transport Economist, show, the load on load off (Lo/Lo) and roll on roll off (Ro/Ro) market in Ireland grew by six per cent and three per cent respectively. However the report indicates that a slowdown in economic activity over the third and fourth quarters last year resulted in a slowdown and tailing off throughput in container traffic. Ports handling bulk and breakbulk commodities were also more acutely exposed to the correction in the Irish housing construction market with an overall one per cent fall in bulk volumes last year.

For the first time in four years, the sea passenger market recorded a return to growth with a three per cent increase in passenger traffic. All corridors including the continental passenger market saw an upturn in passenger demand, compared with a five per cent decline in traffic over the past five years. Car volumes were also up five per cent in 2007.

"Despite a highly challenging environment the shipping market performed robustly last year, the increase in shipping volumes to developing markets in Asia was a major highlight of the merchandise export trade last year," according to Mr Glenn Murphy, Director IMDO. "This can be partially attributed to Irish exporters taking advantage of competitive backhaul freight rates as a result of large surpluses of import containers originating in China and other Asian markets." Irish merchandise exports to the rapidly expanding Chinese and Asian sub-continent increased by over 30 per cent last year.

2008 will see the European shortsea shipping community gather in Dublin to debate the many issues surrounding this demanding and hugely important maritime sector. The European Short Sea Shipping Conference will take place in Dublin Castle on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 June, focussing on trends, developments and opportunities for bulk and unitised shortsea shipping.

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