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UK ports · last look 12 September 2026 Which UK ports do inbound ships use? A handful. Deep-sea containers from Asia head for Felixstowe, London Gateway or Southampton. Fuel, pellets and other bulk head for the Humber — above all Immingham. DfT counted 421 million tonnes through major UK ports in 2024. London took about 12% of that. Grimsby and Immingham together took about 10%. The door decides what you feel first: a late sofa, or dearer diesel. |
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Suffolk · boxes Classic deep-sea container door. Furniture, phones, wire, toys. About $41bn of imports logged in 2025. Cape: 43–47 days from China. |
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Thames · boxes DP World on the Essex Thames. Fast-growing. About 3 million containers in 2025 after a fourth berth. Same Asia cargo family as Felixstowe. |
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Hampshire · boxes and cars Deep-sea containers plus vehicles. Same Cape or Suez choice. A late ship here is a late car or a late bay, then the M27. |
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Humber · fuel and bulk Oil products, pellets, ore, Ro-Ro. 43.7 million tonnes with Grimsby in 2024. Fuel clock: 1–14 days. |
Which door matches the cargo?
| Cargo | Door |
| Asia clothes, toys, phones, furniture | Felixstowe, London Gateway, Southampton |
| Diesel, jet, heating oil, pellets, ore | Immingham |
| Wheat, maize, sunflower oil in bulk | Humber bulk — start at Black Sea |
| EU trailers | Dover — Channel |
Share of UK major-port tonnes, 2024
| London cluster | ~12% |
| Grimsby and Immingham | ~10% |
| Southampton | next band |
421 million tonnes at major ports (DfT 2024). Liquid bulk was the largest group by weight. Containers are smaller by tonnes and large by shop value.
Passage status · Cape versus Suez · Fuel that moves the lorries
DfT port freight 2024. Felixstowe values: OEC 2025. Gateway 2025 throughput: operator / trade press. Not live berth-tracking.