Rotterdam handled box volumes of 2.9m teu in the first quarter, with contributions from both deepsea (Asia and North America routes) and the short-sea market.
The transit to the Baltic Sea countries increased through relocation of transhipment cargo from other ports to Rotterdam, according to the Port of Rotterdam Authority. The delivery and shipment of short-sea containers to/from the Baltic Sea countries and the UK also increased due to economic growth in those countries.
“For the whole of 2014, I am counting on slight growth, but my attention will mainly be on structural developments that are putting the port of Rotterdam under pressure,” said Allard Castelein, ceo of the Port of Rotterdam.
“These include the overcapacity in the European refinery sector, the rapid rise in American shale gas that is putting investments in the European chemicals sector under pressure, and changes in the containers sector.
“Shipowners are building ever-larger container ships and starting to cooperate intensively to fill them optimally. At the same time, extra terminal capacity has been built in many Northwest European ports while economic growth has lagged behind,” he commented.
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