PASSENGERtraffic through Dover slumped by 7.6% in the first month following the abolition of duty-free on June 30.
Volumes were 2.06m in July this year, compared to 2.23m in the same month of 1998, according to figures published by Dover Harbour Board.
Car traffic fell by 7.9% to 341,300 in the same period. However, coach traffic rose by 7.1% to 19,500. A Hoverspeed spokesman said there had been signs of an upturn at the end of July, and August was busy.