After a fall at the start of the year in terms of volumes recorded, the positive results for the second half of the year allowed the Boulogne-sur-Mer auction venue to maintain a level equivalent to that of 2017, with 32 142 tonnes of sales recorded in 2018 for a turnover of 82.6 million euros, up 2% compared to 2017. The average price per kilogram saw a slight increase of 1% at 2.57 euros. The large volumes of squid landed, whose average price is around 8 euros per kilo, helped maintain this average price for all species combined.

Boulogne-sur-Mer remains the premier French fishing port in terms of tonnage.

 The port of Calais sees a good year for HGV traffic, despite a lack of capacity over the first six months

2018 turned out to be a year of contrasts in terms of heavy goods vehicle traffic at the port of Calais. The number of trucks registered during the first half of the year was down compared to 2017. The port of Calais only had a complete fleet of ships from July, with the return of the PRIDE OF KENT, which had to undergo repairs due to damage in December 2017 following a storm.

Although traffic in the second half of the year was more robust when capacity returned to normal, heavy goods vehicle traffic in 2018 saw a drop of 4.5% overall with 1 900 616 units, the straits sector also experiencing a decline. The drop in the number of freight units materially impacted the volume of goods transported, which fell by 7% to give a total of 45 660 281 tonnes.

Passengers and passenger vehicles back on the Calais / Dover route

2018 saw the full resumption of Tourist traffic (passengers and vehicles), which had initially got underway in the second half of 2017. Passenger traffic passed the nine million mark, with 9 118 014 passengers, an increase of 1.41% compared to 2017.

As for passenger vehicles, the increase is even stronger, with a 5.16% increase in traffic, or 1 632 291 vehicles of all types combined: caravan traffic jumped 11% to 32 244 units, with cars up 5.60% to 1 451 438 vehicles. Only coach traffic saw a slight decline of 1.13%, but this is well below the sharp decline observed in previous years.

The renewed growth of Tourist traffic, which had declined sharply since 2014, indicates a newfound confidence among the British in travelling through the port of Calais

A fine performance for the Boulogne-sur-Mer general cargo terminal

While the total tonnage of the general cargo terminals of the Port Boulogne Calais was down by 34% with a total of 1 306 569 tonnes due mainly to the downturn in needs for the Calais Port 2015 site, the Boulogne-sur-Mer terminal fared really well and ended 2018 with an increase of 20%.  This excellent progress, which has continued since 2012, is driven by substantial rock and gravel activity, as well as quicklime, which is expected to see a further increase in traffic in 2019.

In addition, the Boulogne-sur-Mer general cargo terminal gained two new cranes in 2018 that will be able to cope with the announced increase in breakbulk traffic in the years to come.

In 2018, the Port of Calais general cargo terminal handled 504 763 tonnes, mainly consisting of sand and stone, petroleum coke and limestone traffic destined for Norway and Finland.

Major investments in Boulogne and Calais:

The Port Boulogne Calais has invested nearly 15 million euros in 2018 on its two port sites. It is continuing its investment programme to make the Port of Boulogne Calais a benchmark port platform in Europe, innovative, modern and concerned with sustainable development.

The port of Boulogne-sur-Mer alone has benefited from more than 12 million euros of investment dedicated to modernising the port site, both at the fishing port, the commercial terminal and the Capécure business park. In Calais, great efforts have been made to improve the reception of travellers with new facilities and improvement of the port site.

Jean-Marc Puissesseau, President and CEO of the Port Boulogne Calais, comments: "After several years of continuous decline, 2018 saw the encouraging return of passenger traffic to the port of Calais, which remains the largest French travel port. The major investments in the modernisation of our facilities, the development of the activities of our two port sites of Calais and Boulogne and the Brexit preparations will ensure that the Port Boulogne Calais’ development is sustainable. Providing our customers with quality service is at the heart of our concerns, so we have embarked on an ambitious five-fold ISO certification process that’s unique among French ports. I can confirm that the Port Boulogne Calais is ‘more than just a port’."