Marseille Fos general cargo in Q1 up 1pc Q1 led by container growth

Marseille Fos general cargo in Q1 up 1pc Q1 led by container growth MARSEILLES FOS, principal port in the South of France, handled posted a three per cent first quarter gain to 263,038 TEU.  Overall, there were 20.17 million tonnes of cargo from January to March in a near repeat of last year's first-quarter result, the American Journal of Transportation reported. General cargo rose one per cent to 4.49 million tonnes. Added to conventional trades dropping eight per cent on 0.56 million tonnes, general cargo activity at Marseilles ended three per cent down despite ro-ro traffic rising 13 per cent to one million tonnes.  Ro-ro throughput included 45,688 trailers, up by 12 per cent, and 51,492 import/export vehicles, a 35 per cent increase. Marseilles welcomed two developments in March. CMA CGM launched a new intra-Mediterranean container service, while Korean vessel Morning Caroline from Eukor Car Carriers made the first call at the Med Europe terminal on a monthly rotation linking the US, the Middle East and Singapore. Liquid bulks were stable on 12.36 million tonnes, driven by oil and gas throughput of 11.51 million tonnes. Crude imports rose three per cent to 7.45 million tonnes, including 144,000 tonnes delivered in March from Kharg Island after the lifting of economic sanctions against Iran. Dry bulks dipped three per cent to 3.3 million tonnes, mainly because a slump in steel industry activity saw imports of raw materials down by eight per cent on 2.2 million tonnes.