Port dispute at the Port of Gothenburg leads to unprecedented fall in container volumes in H1 2017
The labour dispute at the Port of Gothenburg has led to an unprecedented fall in container volumes, the company said in its press release. During the first six months of the year, the number of containers shipped fell by 22 per cent, the biggest decrease ever in the history of the port. The decline was particularly noticeable in June, with volumes down by 60 per cent. Container handling is now at a level not seen since 2001.
Volume figures for the first six months of the year clearly show how the dispute between the trade union and the container terminal, APM Terminals Gothenburg, is impacting negatively on container trade. Compared with 2016, volumes are down 22 per cent. The impact was particularly noticeable in June – down 60 per cent on June 2016. Preliminary reports show that the figures for July were also at an historic low. The upward trend has been broken and we would need to go as far back as 2001 to find a corresponding volume level.
The dispute between the operator, APMT, and section 4 of the Swedish Dockworkers’ Union began back in May 2016. It has continued despite the fact that APMT has signed and is a party to the industry’s collective agreement. The situation has led the government to take action and set up an enquiry to review labour market rules.
Other freight categories at the Port of Gothenburg are continuing to increase. The number of ro-ro units* shipped during the first half of the year totalled 291,000 – up seven per cent on 2016. During the first six months of the year, 137,000 new cars were exported or imported, a 40 per cent increase on the corresponding period last year, due largely to the success of Volvo.
Volumes at the Energy Port have also risen – up seven per cent on the first six months of 2016.
