%20copie-1.jpg?width=225&height=59&name=logo%20(1)%20copie-1.jpg "logo (1) copie-1")
The ZIPs appeared after the Second World War, in the context of a massive opening up of trade and the maritimization of international industry. An industrial-port zone is a space combining port and industrial activities in a complex economic and spatial system.
It can be located on a sea coast or on an inland waterway: this includes large rivers but also, for example, wide-gauge canals.
The largest industrial-port areas in the world, in Europe or in Asia, today manage flows of several hundred million tonnes of goods per year. Several French ports also retain strong international competitiveness.
Shanghai Port Industrial Zone
The port of Shanghai is today the first industrial-port zone in the world. The evolution of goods traffic also demonstrates the rise of the Chinese megalopolis, and its assertion as a real hub for international goods transport:
- 100 million tons of goods passed through the major Chinese port in 1984.
- The recorded volume reached 186 million tonnes in 1999.
- Shanghai has developed China's economic growth since the beginning of the 21st century. The volume of goods, for example, stood at 443 million tonnes in 2005, then at 698.3 million tonnes in 2021 – despite the difficult health context.
The Port of Shanghai is China's main shipping hub, often referred to as the "factory of the world". As a result, the traffic there is mainly made up of raw materials for imports and containers of manufactured products for export.
The Chinese metropolis is in contact with the whole world, but also with a vast hinterland: only 17% of its maritime traffic is international. 58% of the exchanges are oriented, in reality, towards the delta and the valley of the Yangtze.
Good to know – Shanghai: a constantly expanding ZIP
Like other rapidly developing ZIPs, the growth in traffic has necessitated an expansion of the port's footprint. The Waigaoqiao Free Zone was inaugurated in 1990 and allowed the construction of new port infrastructure near the mouth of the Yangtze. This port, with a water depth of 10 to 13 meters, has the capacity to accommodate larger ships than downtown Shanghai.
Rotterdam, the largest port in Europe
The port of Rotterdam is the largest industrial port area in Europe. The volume of traffic also rivals the flows recorded by the largest Asian maritime platforms: no less than 468.7 million tonnes of goods passed through Rotterdam in 2021: a spectacular increase of 7.3% compared to the previous year, certainly marked by the Covid-19 pandemic.
A former fishing port, Rotterdam experienced a process of industrialization from the middle of the 19th century. The port area now extends over more than 42 kilometers and occupies an approximate area of 12,500 hectares.
Rotterdam has many advantages that explain its spectacular development:
- Its port offers direct access to the North Sea and the English Channel.
- It is located at the mouth of the Rhine, a river very frequented by barges and maritime freight ships.
- Rotterdam is located at the heart of the backbone or “European megalopolis”, which extends from London to the Milan region in Italy.
- The port has a set of port facilities of great importance
Rotterdam stands out as the main European gateway for maritime container traffic. Around 15.3 million units passed through the Dutch port in 2021: this figure constitutes a historic record according to the port authorities.
What are the biggest French ports?
Metropolitan France has a total of 4 industrial-port zones on its metropolitan territory. Apart from Nantes-Saint-Nazaire, whose volume of activity is slightly lower, the three main platforms are Le Havre, Marseille-Fos and Dunkirk.
Le Havre industrial-port area
The new “HAROPA Port” officially came into being on June 1, 2021. It constitutes a merger of several old structures since it integrates the port activities of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris at the same time.
As a result, HAROPA Port stands out as the new largest French seaport, with a total combined traffic of 102.8 million tonnes of goods in 2021. It is distinguished in particular by:
- 5th largest transit volume among Northern European ports;
- The largest transit volume in France for energy supply and wines;
- A strategic geographical position on the Channel – North Sea axis, concentrating a quarter of international maritime trade;
- A multimodal hub made up of land, river, rail and motorway links to all of Europe.
Marseille-Fos is now the second largest port in France in terms of freight traffic, with a total of 75.01 million tonnes in 2021.
A major player in international trade, Marseille-Fos offers high-performance infrastructure, with in particular the western basins located in Fos and extending over approximately 10,000 hectares.
The port of Marseille-Fos has the capacity to handle all types of traffic:
- Containers of goods from all over the world;
- Hydrocarbons intended in particular for the Fos-sur-Mer refinery;
- Ro-Ro traffic (cars, heavy goods vehicles, etc.);
- Solid and liquid bulk (cereals, ores, liquid gas, etc.).
Marseille also offers regular maritime connections for passenger traffic, for example to Corsica. The port is also a traditional stopover or base of operations for many cruise ships.
Industrial port area of Dunkirk
The large maritime port of Dunkirk is the third ZIP in France in terms of goods traffic – but also the oldest, with a date of creation dating back to 1963. The volume in transit reached 48.32 million tonnes in 2021.
It is the first French port for the import of minerals and coal. Dunkirk also specializes in the metallurgy, metal processing and refining sector.
The port enjoys a privileged location along the busiest sea route in the world, at the gates of the North Sea. It extends over more than 17 kilometers of coastline and enjoys still a significant reserve of space for the establishment of new activities. Its facilities allow Dunkirk to accommodate all types of goods and large ships:
- The eastern sea entrance is the oldest and accommodates ships with a maximum draft of 14.2 meters.
- The West Port, on the other hand, is of more recent design and has the capacity to accommodate large vessels with a draft of up to 22 meters.
Conclusion
The major industrial and port areas of the world today constitute essential relays for international trade in goods. To maximize their attractiveness, ports use different port services. These large multimodal platforms are in fierce competition to attract the largest share of traffic in their region.
XP LOG offers you a set of logistics solutions for your import-export operations from the seaport of Le Havre and HAROPA Port. Do not hesitate to contact us for a personalized study of your specifications.