The Port of Rotterdam has witnessed a fall of 5.5 per cent in container throughput due to high inflation and downturn in economy.
During the first half of 2023, overall container throughput at the Port of Rotterdam reached 220.7 million tonnes. This was a decline from the same period in 2022 where 233.5 million tonnes was handled.
The decrease was most noticeable in coal throughput, containers, and other dry bulk (commodities).
However, throughput grew in the agribulk, iron ore and scrap, and LNG industries.
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Container throughput in tonnes was 9.3 per cent down in the first half of the year at 64.4 million tonnes; the fall in TEU was 8.1 per cent to 6.7 million tonnes.
There are two principal reasons for the decline in container throughput: the termination of volumes to and from Russia and the fall in imports from Asia.
However, the reliability of the sailing schedules of container vessels continued to improve in the first half of the year.
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This resulted in better volume handling at the port and in the hinterland. Ro-Ro traffic fell 3.2 per cent to 13.3 million tonnes.
Aside from decreased demand owing to rising inflation and stockpiling, the Ro-Ro market is also impacted by the UK economy’s difficulties.
The general freight category declined by 11.5 per cent to 3.4 million tonnes.
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