Sea transport: a network of specialized ports

• Dunkirk: France’s no. 1 port for dry goods and no. 3 for international trade, handling over 50 million tons a year (56,65 million in 2006).
• Maersk Sealink’s new Asian route opens the door to a new generation of giant container ships, with 6,500-7,000 TEU vessels plying the AE7 route from Dunkirk to the Far East, opening promising prospects for the port’s hinterland;
• Services to nearby ports of Antwerp, Rotterdam and Le Havre.
• Boulogne-sur-Mer: Europe’s no. 1 center for seafood processing and distribution.
• Calais: France’s no. 1 port for passenger traffic and no. 1 in added valued; 2nd worldwide for RoRo logistics and no. 4 in France for freight, handling 41,5 million tons in 2006. France’s no. 1 port for freight traffic with UK.