UK port freight tonnage: domestic one-port traffic
UK port freight tonnage: domestic one-port traffic stood at 13.88 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 1965 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freight tonnage | |||||||||||
| Domestic one-port traffic | 13.88 | 15.7 | 16.59 | 17.97 | 19.72 | 17.78 | 19.71 | 20.58 | 22.04 | 20.94 | |
| All domestic traffic | 87.03 | 90.29 | 95.95 | 98.49 | 98.16 | 90.2 | 96.28 | 93.59 | 95.01 | 103.11 |
Understanding UK port freight tonnage: domestic one-port traffic
Maritime freight associated with domestic one-port traffic across facilities in the United Kingdom measures shipments moving between a domestic port and offshore installations, or involving non-commercial undertakings such as material dumping at sea. Unlike coastwise journeys that connect two commercial ports, this category covers traffic where goods are moved to or from locations without formal port status, including offshore energy platforms and dredging sites. It isolates specialised marine operations from standard point-to-point commercial trading routes.
Reading these figures requires familiarity with offshore industrial projects, energy extraction phases, and marine environmental operations that dictate activity levels. Revisions to early estimates frequently occur due to complex reporting requirements for offshore installations and marine dredging vessels. Analysts must recognise that this tonnage represents operational and engineering support rather than consumer goods distribution.
Frequently asked questions
- What constitutes a one-port traffic movement in maritime statistics?
- It involves traffic between a domestic port and offshore locations, rigs, or marine sites that are not classified as ports.
- Are dredging materials and spoil dumped at sea included in this measure?
- Yes, material lifted by dredgers and subsequently deposited at designated offshore sites is captured within one-port traffic.
- Why can one-port traffic show sharp year-on-year volatility?
- Activity depends heavily on the timing of offshore construction, rig maintenance schedules, and major marine engineering projects.