May 21, 2012

France's Rouen port grain cargoes rise twofold

Europe's largest cereal-shipping hub, the French port of Rouen, more than doubled its grain shipments in the latest week boosted by wheat deliveries to Algeria.

Export cargoes climbed to 128,998 tonnes between May 10 and May 16 from 59,852 tonnes a week earlier, the Seine River port wrote in an e-mailed report today. That included 123,401 tonnes of soft wheat, compared with 55,452 tonnes the previous week.

Algeria was the biggest destination, taking 75,684 tonnes of soft wheat, up from 25,502 tonnes the previous week.

Rouen accounted for 41% of France's grain exports by sea in 2010-11, ahead of La Pallice on the Bay of Biscay and Dunkirk on the North Sea, which shipped out 17% and 11% respectively, according to port data.