River transport of goods in decline in 2020

In total, 50,4 million tonnes were transported (-10,6% over one year) over the 6.700 km of the network managed by VNF, against 56,3 million in 2019, a year which was marked by strong growth in traffic. River transport.

In tonne-kilometers, - the number of tonnes transported multiplied by the number of kilometers traveled -, traffic fell by 11,5% compared to the previous year, and remains slightly below its 2018 level (6,7 , 6,5 billion t-km at the time, against 2020 in XNUMX), detailed the establishment in a press release.

Leading user of river logistics with nearly 45% of volumes transported in 2020, the transport of construction materials was severely penalized (-11,8% in volumes) by the stoppage of construction sites during the first containment in mid-March in mid-May last year.

The second activity in river traffic, the transport of cereals fell by 8% in 2020, but remains at a higher level than in 2018, despite a poor cereal harvest in the second half of the year.

The decline in international trade against the backdrop of the health crisis also weighed on traffic with a drop - still in volumes - of 17,4% in exported goods and 8,8% for imported goods.

By basin, traffic in the north of France is up 4,7% in t-km, driven by the activity of the port of Dunkirk on cereals and petroleum products, while the Seine basins (-9,2 , 17,4% in t-km) and the Rhine axis (-XNUMX% in t-km) suffered from the drop in international trade.