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Issue 8 2018 - Freight Business Journal


Showing the Dunkirk spirit


Ports along the north coast of France are working together to prepare for Brexit, says Dunkirk commercial director, Daniel Deschodt. Dunkirk, Calais and Eurotunnel are drawing up plans to strengthen customs facilities and officer strength, in the event that the UK crashes out of the European Union and full-scale clearances, checks and controls are reimposed on trade to and from the UK. However, he points out that, for


Dunkirk, the situation is slightly different compared with the other two ports, as a large proportion of its trade has always been with non-EU countries. In fact, the port prides itself on the speed at which it can perform customs clearances – an average of three minutes. “Let’s keep it that way,” says Deschodt. In fact, customs clearance as


such wouldn’t be the main issue for Dunkirk post-Brexit. Of greater concern would be the need for port health and similar controls, which would need extra physical facilities such as Border Inspection Posts and personnel on the ground. Nevertheless, Deschodt is confident that Dunkirk will be able to cope. Meanwhile, the cross-Channel


DFDS services to and from Dover continue. Dunkirk recently upgraded the ferry terminal and has just opened an enlarged secured parking area. Just one of


several measures implemented in conjunction with the UK authorities to secure the facilities of the cross-Channel terminal in Dunkerque and offer parking space for heavy goods vehicles, it is managed by DFDS which operates a ship departure every two hours


accommodate 225 heavy goods vehicles. The project will be completed


///FRANCE & CHANNEL PORTS >> 18


in the coming months by the construction at the entrance to the terminal of a secure buffer corridor to secure trucks at the terminal entrance. Access to the parking lot can be


expanded to three additional lanes during peak traffic periods, storing up to 200 heavy goods vehicles and avoiding congestion on the surrounding roads.


offer sites with all services like roads, drainage and electricity ready-installed, so that the tenant can make an immediate start on building work and be operational within a few months. The regional government is also very supportive and there are no planning issues. Needless to say, all this industry


generates traffic for the port, either in the form of containerized or trailer exports or bulk imports. Some businesses may be slightly


wary of setting up operations in France, mindful of the country’s reputation on the labour front. However, Deschodt points out, those perceptions are really unfair as far as Dunkirk is concerned. “Yes, the reputation of France is not good, but in Dunkirk, we have not had a minute’s strike for the past 28 years.” It actually has a better recent record in this respect than some of the major Continental hubs such as Antwerp, he argues. As a late-developer in the


to Dover. The parking lot helps avoid the


need for trucks to park upstream of the terminal and limits the problem of parking within the port precinct. It should greatly reduce truck congestion west of Dunkerque, says the port authority. It describes the parking lot as


“absolutely safe” with high fences fitted with thermal imaging and video surveillance systems, as well as a more economical lighting system on the entire periphery of the parking lot. These security features are


complemented by patrols. The 3 hectare lot can


Belgian chip firm sets up shop in France


Port and industry officials laid the foundation stone for a new warehouse for Belgian potato firm Lamaire on 22 October in the logistics area of the port of Dunkerque. The company produces frozen


French fries intended mainly for the international market and exported in refrigerated containers or temperature-controlled trucks.


Lamaire decided to build and


operate its own cold storage warehouse in Dunkerque located near the container terminals and ferries of the Western Port, in order to control its own logistics through its French subsidiary 24H FROST. The new 20 metre-high, 6,000sq m high warehouse will have a freezer volume of 80,000cu m and a capacity of 10,600 pallets.


The port has also put much effort


into attracting industrial tenants to its estate. Recent arrivals include Irish cement maker Ecocem and French chemical firm SNF, a leading manufacturer of water purification chemicals. On the logistics front, a Belgian frozen chip maker has just opened a major distribution centre (see below). The amount and variety of


industry in Dunkirk is unique among French ports, Deschodt believes. “I think there are hardly any other places that have so much activity,” he says. The secret to Dunkirk’s success, he believes, is that the port can


container business, Dunkirk is also uncongested, although lately it has started to catch up. By the first quarter of 2019, there will be two berths capable of handling the very largest container ships simultaneously, with no draſt issues whatsoever. The port is also easy to reach by land, not only from other parts of France, but also south Belgium and western Germany. There are regular deepsea


and feeder services, including those operated by CMA CGM and Unifeeder and,


from 26


November, a new Hapag Lloyd service to West Africa via the


freely trade with other nations is


essential for long-term prosperity. The restriction on labour may well have an economic and social impact, but ultimately the ability to trade in an effective way will have a longer-term impact on the economy. It may appear to be a very light


version of Brexit to the supporters of that particular bias, but it does at least present some concessions with regard to trade agreements and the ability to break free of some EU legislative requirements.” It’s safe to say that neither


of these scenarios are perfect. However


they would help to


outline the parameters that organisations need to work to post-Brexit, which is extremely important to the country’s future. There’s no question that the


logistics industry will take the brunt of Brexit. There are major worries surrounding the licensing of UK drivers in mainland Europe and vice versa, customs checks and the impact of any increase in the cost of EU imports on industry. There will inevitably be changes


to customs procedures for EU imports and exports. While we’re not certain what this will look like, we can glean some understanding by listening to port authorities, such as the new system for third-


transhipment port of Tangiers which will offer opportunities to and from Asia and Latin America. The weekly Dakar Express service will connect Senegal (Dakar), Mauritania


country trade being introduced in January, with each form containing 84 data fields and taking 10-15 minutes to fill out. With lengthier procedures and more rigorous customs checks, activity is only going to increase, both within the ports and the surrounding roads. There are, of course, long-term


plans in place to ensure there is not a repeat of 2015’s Operation Stack, which saw huge disturbances and delays across Kent’s roads. The new strategy, Operation Brock, will use a 13-mile stretch of the M20 between Maidstone and Ashford as a temporary lorry truck park holding around 2,000 vehicles. Though penned as a ‘temporary’ solution, there are concerns that the proposed infrastructure scheme will not be completed by the time Brexit occurs in March, leaving the areas surrounding Dover in danger of huge delays. Such congestion will inevitably impact supply chains, increasing time and costs to the manufacturer, which in turn is likely to be passed the end consumer. A time of political change like this will always bring an element of uncertainty but we must focus on the opportunities it also presents. A logistics partner must be proactive in pre-empting supply chain interference. Certainly, for Priority Freight, it will be business as usual .


(Nouakchott), the trans-shipment hub in Tangier, Morocco, and Dunkerque. There will also be connections to Leixoes in the north-south direction and Lisbon in the south-north direction.


Ramsgate still waiting and hoping


Thanet District Council is still pinning its hopes on a regular ferry service starting from Ramsgate to rescue the finances of the moribund port. At a meeting of the Council’s Finance Scrutiny panel on 23 October, council leader Bob Bayford said that Thanet was still in negotiations with Belgian- based Seaborne Freight, which has plans to start truck ferry services between Ramsgate and Ostend by the end of the year. However, an earlier deadline for the start-up of the service in March has been missed owing to “minor complications” according to Seaborne Freight shareholder Glenn Dudley. The plans are for the route to


be operated by three vessels, one of which has been identified as the former Stena, SeaFrance


and MyFerryLink vessel Nord Pas de Calais. At


the October meeting,


Councillor Bayford said that negotiations with Seabourne Freight were still continuing and, according to local press reports, he sees running a successful ferry operation as the quickest way of reducing the port’s deficit. The port has racked up losses of around £20m since its last regular ferry service, the TransEuropa route to Ostend, closed in 2010 and its management has been the subject of criticism locally. Currently, Ramsgate handles


a limited amount of offshore windfarm work, bulk aggregate imports livestock, project cargoes and has a sporadic traffic in trade car imports for logistics firm Gefco, the latest of


which took place in September this year. There are also plans for a marina development. While Ramsgate is close to


Dover and has oſten been cited as a potential overflow port in the event of Brexit or other problems on the Channel, there are few vessels currently in service that could access the relatively restricted berths at Ramsgate. Press reports in mid-


November also stated that the government was holding “private discussions” with shipping operators about resuming ferry services between Ramsgate and Ostend in the event of a no-deal Brexit. According to the reports, transport secretary Chris Grayling has earmarked up to


£200m to develop Ramsgate, including dredging to allow it to handle larger ferries and increase truck parking space. However, industry experts


FBJ has spoken to were doubtful that Ramsgate could have more than a marginal effect on any post-Brexit problems. They point to the longer distances between it and the Continent, which would


drastically


increase the number of ferries needed to maintain a frequent service. One calculated that for Ramsgate to handle, say 3,000 trucks a day, ten ferries would be needed. The port is also somewhat


lacking in truck parking space, apart from the disused Manston Airport, about two miles away which could be pushed into service.


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