The European road freight sector will effectively stagnate again this year while emergingmarkets will continue to outperform with stronger growth, according to new figures from the
International Road Transport Union (IRU).The IRU, which represents passenger and freight transport associations in 73 countries aroundthe world, said its latest ‘IRU Road Transport Indices’, comparing GDP growth, road freighttransport volumes and new vehicle registrations in 58 countries on a quarterly basis, confirmedthere had been a ‘double-dip’ recession in EU countries in 2012 with a 0.3% contraction in GDP.
In 2013, European economic growth is expected to stagnate and then gradually return, with somefurther strengthening in 2014, it noted.
“EU road transport performance, measured in transported tonnes, stagnated in 2012 and will onlyslightly increase by 0.7% in 2013,” the IRU predicted.
However, this stagnation across Europe masks a north-south divide, “in which the economy ekesout slightly positive figures along an arc from Finland to France, while contraction grips Greece,Italy, Spain and Portugal”, it pointed out.
In contrast, BRIC countries have outperformed EU countries in terms of GDP and growth in tonnestransported and will continue doing so in 2013, the IRU said.
GDP in the BRIC countries rose by 7% in 2012 and road transport operators carried 6.5% morevolume (in tonnes) in 2012. Over the two year-period of 2011 and 2012, they experienced a 5%increase in GDP and a 6% increase in transported tones.
Looking ahead to this year, the IRU predicted that GDP in BRIC countries will increase by 6.3%and road transport operators will carry 6.7% more tonnage than last year.
The IRU’s Head of Sustainable Development, Jens Hügel, said: “These figures confirm the IRU RoadTransport Indices forecast for 2012. In light of the economic figures, it comes as no surprise thatin 2012 EU transport operators were reluctant to invest in new vehicles resulting in a stagnationof new vehicle sales, compared to transport operators in the BRIC countries who continued toinvest.
“The fact that BRIC countries are outperforming the “Old Economies” across the board resultsfrom their understanding that both systemic innovation and major investment in production tools,including in small and medium-sized enterprises that provide 85% of jobs, such as road transportcompanies, are instrumental in expediting real economic growth,” he added.
According to the IRU, road transport carries on average more than 90% of goods in value and morethan 80% of inland freight volume. About 85% of road freight tonnage is carried over distances of150 km or less in advanced economies.
