#DublinPort - Significant growth in all categories of Dublin Port business was recorded during 2013. Up until last year, the port had experienced three flat years from 2010 and this is the first year in which there has been organic growth.

The headline figures are as follows:

Total volume is up 3.0% for the year at 28.8m gross tonnes
• Imports (17.3m gross tonnes) performed strongly with 4.4% growth
• Exports (11.5m gross tonnes) grew at the lower rate of 1.1%
• Port volumes are now at 93.2% of pre-recession (2007) levels.

Specific sectorial performance was as follows:
• Unitised trade (Ro-Ro and Lo-Lo) increased by 2.7%
• Bulk commodities increased by 4.3%. This included an increase in bulk liquids (mainly petroleum products) of 2.5% and an increase in bulk solids (with animal feed and cereals the largest commodities) of 9.0%
• Trade vehicle imports increased by 15.3% to 53,000

On the tourism and passenger side, the port also recorded growth:
Ferry passengers increased by 0.3% to 1.6m
• Tourist vehicles on ferries increased by 3.5% to 0.4m
• Cruise business hit a new record of 100 ships with 152,000 visitors