Imports help Dublin Port to record opening quarter

Cargo volumes passing through Dublin Port in the opening quarter of the year grew to record levels as the demand for imports grew in line with the economy’s recent resurgence.

Figures published yesterday show continued growth in imports and exports with the volume of cargo up 5.3% on the same period last year and 3% ahead of previous peak levels in 2007. Imports and exports (throughput) for the opening quarter of 2015 was 7.8m tonnes, an increase of 5.3% on the 7.4m tonnes handled in the first quarter of last year.

The pace of import growth was more twice that of exports, although both rose significantly, by 6.9% and 3% in the past 12 months.

Dublin Port Company chief executive Eamonn O’Reilly said it was now back on course to reach its growth targets.

“Dublin Port’s latest trade figures continue the positive trends of recent years,” said Mr O’Reilly. “Our volume grew by 5.3% in the first quarter. This follows growth of 7% in 2014 and 3% in 2013, putting Dublin Port back on our Masterplan’s growth trajectory which will see volumes double over the period from 2010 to 2040.”

Signs of the nascent economic recovery are also evident in the port’s opening set of results, with the number of new cars landing on our shores pointing firmly towards a pick-up in the financial circumstances of at least part of the population.

Almost 33,000 new vehicles passed through Dublin Port into the country in the first three months of the year, up almost 39% on the same period last year.

The port’s new €3.4m, 4.2 hectare trade car terminal opened last year as part of the company’s plan to provide further capacity for continued growth in this sphere. Compared to the same period last year, roll-on, roll-off trailers moved ahead 7.2% to 207,042 and the port’s lift-on, lift-off container business rose 7.3%.

On the tourism side, Dublin Port attracted 277,269 ferry passengers in the first three months of the year, a 5% rise on the first quarter of last year.

Dublin Port expects continued growth following Stena Line’s recent consolidation of its ferry services into Dublin Port and its introduction of a new ship — the Stena Superfast X — on the Dublin to Holyhead route.