UK waterborne goods lifted: coastwise between ports
UK waterborne goods lifted: coastwise between ports stood at 37.04 million tonnes in 2025, according to GOV.UK official statistics. It is one of the indicators in the Port and waterborne freight table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2001 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Port and waterborne freight table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goods lifted on inland and coastal waters | |||||||||||
| Coastwise between UK ports | 37.04 | 38.02 | 40.79 | 41.03 | 39.29 | 37.06 | 38.26 | 37.33 | 34.6 | 39.7 | |
| One-port traffic at UK ports | 13.76 | 15.3 | 15.43 | 17.76 | 19.3 | 17.67 | 19.52 | 20.71 | 22.26 | 21 |
Understanding UK waterborne goods lifted: coastwise between ports
Aggregate weight of domestic coastwise maritime freight moving between ports across the United Kingdom, capturing shipments dispatched from one domestic harbour and received at another. This metric isolates domestic maritime trade from international shipping and internal waterway movements, reflecting the domestic sea-freight distribution network. Harbour authorities collect the data through mandatory cargo manifests submitted by vessel masters.
When reading this dataset, analysts should account for shifts in domestic supply chains, such as changes in domestic energy distribution or bulk mineral transport. Seasonal weather conditions along coastal routes can cause temporary delivery delays, making annual comparisons more reliable than month-to-month tracking. Do not compare coastwise tonnage directly with road freight figures, as maritime transport handles bulk commodities over longer coastal stretches.
Frequently asked questions
- What defines coastwise traffic between domestic ports?
- It encompasses goods loaded at a port in the United Kingdom and discharged at another port within the same country via sea routes.
- What commodities typically dominate coastwise shipping?
- Bulk fuels, crude oil, construction aggregates, and heavy industrial raw materials form the majority of coastwise freight.
- Does this series include Northern Ireland ports?
- Coastwise traffic data covers movements between ports across the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland where applicable under national maritime reporting standards.