Mersey Docks and Harbour Company is continuing to feel the impact of the war in Ukraine with a slowdown in global container volumes leading to annual pre-tax losses of £13.6m. Tony McDonough reports

Mersey Docks and Harbour Company (MDHC) is reporting higher revenues but widening losses, blaming the war in Ukraine for continuing to depress container volumes.

In accounts for the 12 months to December 31, 2025, just posted on Companies House, MDHC is reporting a 2.5% in revenues to £52.3m. However, pre-tax losses widened from £11.4m in the year before to £13.6m.

MDHC provides the services to both the Liverpool2 terminal and the Royal Seaforth Container Terminal at the Port of Liverpool. Liverpool2 is an in-river deep-water container terminal capable of accommodating the world’s largest container vessels.

Royal Seaforth Container Terminal was the Port of Liverpool’s first container terminal. It has direct deep-sea and short-sea connections to a range of countries, including the USA, Canada, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Cyprus and Turkey as well as other feeder services.

One of the biggest factors contributing to the losses, according to MHDC, is the ongoing war in Ukraine and the impact this has on global container volumes.

“Most governments, including that of the UK, have imposed economic sanctions on Russia and this has placed certain obligations on UK ports with respect to vessels that seek to enter their areas of jurisdiction,” the annual report said.

“The group continues to engage with the Department for Transport and other statutory bodies to ensure that the group complies with the sanctions.

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“This may result in disruption to the handling of certain commodities, though there has been no material effect on the group to date and it is anticipated that this will continue to be the case.”

MDHC is jointly owned by Peel Ports Containers, a subsidiary of the Liverpool-based Peel Ports Group, and Terminal Investment.