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Brexit boost for Bristol boxes

[ June 17, 2019   //   ]

Bristol Port has completed a a £9 million upgrade of its container terminals, including two new gantry cranes. Bristol operates two facilities – Portbury handles larger vessels including the weekly MSC feeder from Antwerp while Avonmouth serves smaller vessels needing rapid turnaround time for smaller volumes.

Carriers calling at the port include MSC, DFDS Suardiaz Line and Containerships (both providing weekly services to and from Bilbao; Grimaldi Lines (weekly services to and the Mediterranean, Sweden and Denmark) and Cronus Logistics (three sailings a week to Northern Ireland).

Commercial manager James Stangroom, said: “This upgrade is designed to further refine our productivity, and to provide considerable extra capacity to handle an increase in container traffic. Our container services continue to grow, as more and more businesses recognise the huge advantage of using the most centrally located container port in the UK, and the benefits that brings of connectivity and efficiency in bringing containers closer to domestic markets.”

A number of major companies – including Amazon, The Range and Roper Rhodes – have set up national distribution centres in the hinterland around Portbury and Avonmouth.

Stangroom added: “We are a global gateway and have developed partnerships with a number of these key businesses, including for example The Range, which brings in thousands of containers every year via MSC.”

Earlier this year, Bristol Port launched a brochure to showcase how it is “Brexit ready”. One possibility will be for importers to move from lorry-borne cargo via Dover– which has potential for delays– to containers through Bristol.

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