Ports in northern England are preparing for an influx of freight as shipping companies seek alternatives to Dover after Brexit as fears mount of lengthy delays at the main sea links with the Continent.
Uncertainty over the UK’s future trade relationship with the EU has led to predictions of long queues at busier harbours on both sides of the Channel after Britain leaves the bloc next March.
Associated British Ports is set to announce a £36m investment in its container terminal at Immingham on the Humber on Thursday after spending £14m at nearby Hull last year. ABP plans to buy new cranes, tug boats and other facilities after a surge of inquiries from companies looking at alternatives to the Channel.
“Cargoes originally destined for ports such as Dover are moving increasingly north as trade partners look at alternatives to mitigate any difficulties the more traditional routes may experience in future,” the company said.
Immingham handled 183,000 container units in 2017, up from 68,000 units in 2013 and taking it close to its capacity. ABP predicted a further 50 per cent increase in traffic by 2020. Nearby Hull is growing by more than 10 per cent annually and moved 109,000 units in 2017.
DFDS, a Danish group that is the second biggest shipping line serving the UK, is also expanding its own Immingham terminal, although it did not disclose investment figures.
And transport company Unifeeder is growing its network to the north with new services recently introduced from Dunkirk and Antwerp to Teesport and from Rotterdam to the Port of Tyne.
Brexit checks threaten 17-mile traffic jam
Dover and the Channel tunnel in 2017 handled half the freight shipped by container and truck from the so called “short sea market” — an arc from Denmark to Portugal. That was 4.2m units, with 2.6m through Dover and 1.6m through the tunnel, according to government figures analysed by consultancy PRB Associates. Most were accompanied by truck drivers.
Dover’s head of policy, Richard Christian, said EU lorries spend only two minutes stopped at the port. If new checks are imposed after March analysts have said that adding another two minutes’ processing time for each truck would lead to a 17-mile queue of traffic outside the port, which handles up to 10,000 freight vehicles daily.
