NURTURING INDO-FRENCH TRADE

The HAROPA Alliance has the most excellent shipping services for the Asia region with the most competitive transit times among the ports on the North European range. Laurent Foloppe, Director Commercial & Marketing, Haropa Ports and Baptiste Maurand, Chairman of the Executive Board, Port of Le Havre, detail on the infrastructure development, digital initiatives and growing trade and connectivity between the French and Indian ports

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Q. How has business been for HAROPA ports this year? Laurent Foloppe: 2019 promises to be a good year for the ports on the Seine Corridor. At the end of October, seaborne traffic amounted to 77 million tonnes. The container industry is doing well (2.4 M TEU). In February, Mrs. Catherine Rivoallon was appointed by the Minister of Transport "integrator for the future single port facility," which, from January 2021 onwards, will combine the ports of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris. The objective of the integration of the 3 ports is to create a single-establishment enterprise and a powerful shipping hub, allowing them to play their full role in the competitive global marketplace.

Good news include the construction in Le Havre of the Siemens-Gamesa Renewable Energy offshore wind turbine plant, which is entering its build phase. Over and above trade and new set-ups onsite, the HAROPA ports have also ramped up their work as a Smart Corridor.

Q. How is HAROPA positioned among European ports in terms of size, geographical location and freight volume? Laurent Foloppe: Our geographical situation on the North European range is exceptional. HAROPA is the first port of call for imports and the last for exports. We are currently in fifth place in this range, but we have many assets that will enable us to continue to gain market share. The ports of the Seine Corridor deliver goods to a consumer marketplace that is among the largest in Europe. HAROPA is the leading container port for France's foreign trade, the largest exporter of grain in Western Europe and the leading French agroindustrial hub. Our strategy is designed to help gain market share in every sector, containers, of course, but also bulk, energy, vehicles and heavy-lift cargo.

Q. Indo-French trade is expected to reach €15 billion by 2020. Which products will stimulate trade?