New analysis of UK government data suggests freight volumes are being redistributed across the country’s ports as global shipping disruption continues to affect supply chains.
The analysis, conducted by container supplier Cleveland Containers using Department for Transport (DfT) statistics, examines changes in freight tonnage and vessel arrivals between 2020 and 2024, alongside the latest quarterly port freight figures.
According to the DfT, total freight handled by the UK’s major ports fell by 3% year on year in the first quarter of 2026. The decline was largely driven by a 7% reduction in outward freight, while inward freight volumes remained relatively stable.
The report links these trends to ongoing disruption affecting international shipping routes. Commercial vessels have continued to avoid the Red Sea because of security concerns, with many services rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope. Meanwhile, instability in the Strait of Hormuz has also affected maritime traffic in recent years.
Andrew Thompson, CEO of Cleveland Containers, said:Global shipping has become far less predictable over the last two years, and that is starting to show up clearly in the data. Some ports are absorbing a lot more traffic than they were twelve months ago, while others are seeing volumes fall back.
However, while national freight volumes have declined, DfT data indicates that traffic does not change uniformly across the UK port network. Year-on-year figures for 2024 show several ports recording significant increases in both freight tonnage and vessel arrivals, suggesting cargo can be redistributed rather than declining evenly across all locations.
Several ports recorded notable year-on-year increases in freight tonnage during 2024. Cromarty Firth experienced the largest percentage increase, with freight volumes rising by more than 100% compared with the previous year. Swansea, Newport, Tyne and Cardiff also recorded significant growth, while Liverpool and Southampton registered increases despite already handling comparatively large freight volumes.
The analysis also identified growth in vessel arrivals at Cromarty Firth, Cardiff, Swansea, Londonderry, Peterhead and Tyne.
Supply Chain Considerations
Alongside changes in port traffic, the report highlights wider supply chain challenges resulting from shipping disruption, including longer transit times, higher freight costs and increased inventory requirements.
Businesses should arguably consider the broader operational effects of shipping delays in addition to changes in freight rates.
Thompson added:What sometimes gets underestimated by businesses, is what happens when that disruption reaches their own operation. A delayed shipment of materials can stall a project, push back a production run, or leave a client short, and that is where the real commercial damage builds up.
This is not a short-term blip that will resolve itself once one particular trade route reopens. Even when individual flashpoints ease, the broader pattern of volatility across global shipping routes looks set to continue. Businesses that plan around that reality, rather than assuming a return to how things were before, will be better placed to manage whatever comes next.
