DUBLIN PORT ENJOYS A STRONG 2022

DUBLIN PORT SAW STRONG IMPORTS AND EXPORTS IN 2022 DESPITE GEOPOLITICAL EVENTS, WITH FINAL YEAR TRADE FIGURES REVEALING A 5.2% INCREASE IN VOLUMES TO 37 MILLION TONNES.

Overall volumes at Dublin Port rose by 5.2% to 36.8 million gross tonnes in 2022, up from 34.9 million in

Strong growth was seen across both imports and exports, with imports up +4.9% (+1 million gross tonnes) and exports up +5.8% (+792,000 gross tonnes) for 2022. Despite the backdrop of geopolitical events heavily impacting international supply chains, including strong performance.

It is encouraging to note that the strong recovery in trade during 2022 means that overall volumes are now million gross tonnes in 2019), and remain far ahead of 2007 levels, before Ireland fell into recession (+18.8%, equating to a rise of 5.8 million gross tonnes).

“Growth of +5.2% in 2022 represents a strong and robust performance for Dublin Port,” noted Barry O’Connell, CEO, Dublin Port Company. “This has been achieved against the backdrop of an uncertain throughput is now back to within 3.6% of the volumes handled in Dublin Port’s last record year of 2019, preBrexit and pre-Covid 19.”

RO-RO AND LO-LO STATISTICS

81% of Dublin Port’s volumes are in the Ro-Ro and Lo-Lo modes and there were contrasting outcomes in these two modes in 2022. The number of Ro-Ro units decrease in Lo-Lo units of -2.8% or 13,000 containers. volumes, where Ro-Ro units had fallen by -9.3%, and the trend seen in 2021 where elements of trade shifted from RoRo to LoLo in the immediate aftermath of Brexit.

Overall unitised volumes (Ro-Ro and Lo-Lo combined) increased by +2% or 28,000 units.

Following a strong 2021, trade vehicle imports again increased in 2022, rising by +8.1% to 89,100 vehicles, perhaps indicative of some recovery in car manufacturing supply chains.

2022Change

2021, impacting Dublin Port’s passenger business, numbers rebounded strongly in 2022. Passenger numbers doubled to nearly 1.69 million, almost reaching numbers seen pre-pandemic and pre-Brexit in 2019 (1.9 million).

2022Change in the year % change

Ferry passengers1,685,746+840,493+99.4% trends are shifting in international shipping following Brexit. While overall unitised volumes are back to within 2.2% of 2019 Pre-Covid / Pre-Brexit levels, there has been a shift in volumes from Ro-Ro to Lo-Lo, with Ro-Ro volumes down by 5.3% and Lo-Lo volumes up by 5.3%. Ro-Ro volumes on direct European services have grown by 64.4%, while services on GB routes have fallen by -17.8%.

“While Dublin Port’s unitised volumes are back to within about 2% of these record levels and the volume of oil imports reached a new record, Lo-Lo import volumes dipped,” noted Barry O’Connell. “The drop in volumes is in line with trends seen across the international shipping sector and primarily due to a reduction in Far East imports following the Covid-19 lockdowns in China, coupled with general economic downturn. That said, closer to home, Lo-Lo import volumes on direct routes from European ports continue to hold up quite strongly, and it also reassuring to see the rebound in passenger numbers through Dublin Port.”

Bulk Commodities

19% of Dublin Port’s volumes are in the bulk commodity modes and these grew substantially by +14.6% during 2022, compared with a marginal increase of +2.1% seen in 2021 vs 2020.

Of these bulk commodities:

•Bulk Liquids, primarily petroleum imports, grew particularly strongly by +19.7% to 4.7 million gross tonnes. This represents a record year and is up +1.1%

•Overall, bulk commodities increased by +14.6% to more than 6.8 million tonnes.

2022Change in the year % change

Bulk commodities 6,855,000 tonnes +874,000 tonnes+14.6%

“With volumes on direct European services continuing to grow, the trend towards driver unaccompanied freight requires more land to service European freight routes to Dublin,” concluded Barry O’Connell. “Our focus, therefore, remains on maximising land use within the current footprint, and the recovery of nearly 15 hectares of lands given over to deal with Brexit checks is an Masterplan project, the 3FM Project, to maximise port lands in the south port along the Poolbeg Peninsula. We will shortly be publishing details of the 3FM Project design for public viewing before preparing theplanning

Solids volumes (-31.9%), strong growth over the volumes by +5.2%. This growth was driven primarily by

2022 Full Year Trade Results