Total throughput at the port of Rotterdam fell by 1.4% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year. In the first three months of this year, throughput was 110.1 million tonnes compared to 111.7 million tonnes in the first quarter of 2023. The decline is mainly due to less throughput of coal, crude oil and oil products. Throughput of iron ore & scrap and LNG increased. Container throughput was also on the rise, with a 3.3% uptick.

Boudewijn Siemons, CEO & Interim COO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority: “The throughput figures show limited imports of raw materials and exports of finished products. This tells us that European industrial production is still suffering from high energy prices and low demand from the biggest declining sectors such as construction and the processing and automotive industries. From the growth in container throughput, we see the first signs that world trade is picking up. However, these tentative signs remain highly uncertain due to rising global tensions.”

source:Port of Rotterdam