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Late surge for Dublin port

[ January 19, 2021   //   ]

Dublin Port throughput increased by 7.6% in the fourth quarter of 2020 although total cargo volumes were down by 3.4% for the year as a whole. Notwithstanding the decline, it was the third busiest year for cargo in the history of the port with higher volumes recorded in only 2018 (38.0 million gross tonnes) and 2019 (38.1 million gross tonnes).

However, 2020 was challenging but it demonstrated the robustness of the port’s cargo business.  

Imports for the year fell by -5.0% to 21.7 million gross tonnes and exports declined by -0.9% to 15.2 million gross tonnes.

The first quarter of 2020 was slow by comparison to a strong first quarter in 2019 which had been driven by Brexit stockpiling in advance of the original Brexit date of 31st March 2019.

The second quarter of 2020 was very difficult (-17.0%) because of the pandemic with very large reductions in volumes in April (-26.2%) and May (-20.5%). However, volumes recovered in the third quarter with growth of +1.1%.

The year ended with a very strong fourth quarter (+7.6%) driven by the second and final round of Brexit stockpiling.  Within the fourth quarter, volumes in December alone were ahead by +21.7%.

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