But total throughput decreased three per cent to 484 million tonnes, largely as a result of lower volumes of coal imports due to coal-fuelled power stations being shut down.
Port of Felixstowe was the country's leading container gateway, handling four million TEU in 2016, down 0.7 per cent year on year, followed by Southampton with two million TEU, up four per cent; London with 1.5 million TEU, up 26 per cent; Liverpool with 700,000 TEU, up seven per cent; and Tees & Hartlepool with 400,000 TEU, up six per cent, reported Seatrade Maritime News of Colchester, UK.
Ro-ro cargo increased three per cent over 2015 to 18.2 million units, as part of a total throughput of 24.1 million units, up two per cent, marking the UK's fourth year in a row of increased unitised cargo.
"The DfT's figures highlight the significance of unitised traffic to the UK economy and particularly ro-ro HGV vehicle trade with Europe," said British Ports Association chief executive Richard Ballantyne.
"This underlines the importance of agreeing a post Brexit deal with the EU that preserves as many of the advantages of Customs Union membership and avoids the need for border interventions, congestion and delays at ro-ro ports, while also enabling UK ports to take advantage of new global trade deals," he added.
Port of Felixstowe was the country's leading container gateway, handling four million TEU in 2016, down 0.7 per cent year on year, followed by Southampton with two million TEU, up four per cent; London with 1.5 million TEU, up 26 per cent; Liverpool with 700,000 TEU, up seven per cent; and Tees & Hartlepool with 400,000 TEU, up six per cent, reported Seatrade Maritime News of Colchester, UK.
Ro-ro cargo increased three per cent over 2015 to 18.2 million units, as part of a total throughput of 24.1 million units, up two per cent, marking the UK's fourth year in a row of increased unitised cargo.
"The DfT's figures highlight the significance of unitised traffic to the UK economy and particularly ro-ro HGV vehicle trade with Europe," said British Ports Association chief executive Richard Ballantyne.
"This underlines the importance of agreeing a post Brexit deal with the EU that preserves as many of the advantages of Customs Union membership and avoids the need for border interventions, congestion and delays at ro-ro ports, while also enabling UK ports to take advantage of new global trade deals," he added.