Cargo throughput at the Port of Marseilles-Fos to the end of November was marked by sustained growth in container and liquid bulks traffic, while passenger numbers continued to be boosted by the cruise sector. In contrast, oil and dry bulk volumes fell by a combined five million tonnes compared with the first 11 months last year to leave the cargo total down 4.3% for the period on 87.9MT. The port authority says that 2008 throughput should recover to the 2006 level of more than 100MT as the Fos Cavaou methane terminal, a second Arcelor-Mittal steel foundry and the Cap Vracs clinker and cement works come on stream. Among the 2007 high spots, January-November container traffic rose 4.5% to almost 908,000 teu, with east-west trades via Fos up 8.1% on 647,000 teu.