Getlink: stock reductions weigh on truck traffic in April

(CercleFinance.com) - This morning, Getlink (formerly Eurotunnel) said that while passenger car traffic using the Channel Tunnel increased by 3% in April, that of trucks dropped by 12%.

Over the first four months of the year, numbers are stable.

An explanation for the drop in truck traffic last month is that: "the high levels of inventory built by British businesses during the first three months of the year, in the lead up to an expected Brexit date of 29 March," the group said, which was followed "by the reduction of stock levels for non-perishable goods in April. At the same time, several car plants brought forward their annual shutdowns, normally held in August, to April". In addition, there were sporadic strikes at customs services.

However, Eurotunnel says that the 559,575 trucks that have used the tunnel between January and April represent an all-time record for this period.

Meanwhile, car traffic, benefited from the "calendar effect" related to the Easter weekend, which fell in April this year.



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