Rotterdam port stable after 2013 crude drop and dry bulk boost

Dry bulk throughput was up across all sectors with ore and scrap metal up 9.4% to 36m tonnes, agribulk up 28% to 10m tonnes and coal throughput up 17% to 20m tonnes, benefitting from low prices and new coal-fired power plants on the continent.

Despite small increases in diesel, jet fuel and fuel oil, and a 25% jump in LNG throughput, liquid cargo was down overall, owing to a 7.3% drop in crude oil throughput, recording a historic low of 91m tonnes of crude for the year.

Box throughput dropped by 1.7% in teu terms. The shift was attributed low consumer demand for goods, industrial action at Rotterdam and direct services from the far east to neighbouring ports.. An improvement in the British economy helped short sea traffic jump 13.2% in terms of teu, and ro-ro cargoes 3.5% to 19m tonnes. Continued weakness in the European market led to a drop of 2.4% in deep sea volumes and an 11.5% drop in feeder volumes, both in teu terms.

Port of Rotterdam Authority ceo Hans Smits, commented, "Things are exactly the reverse of last year. Where in 2012 crude oil and oil products provided growth, they have failed this year. Now, coal, ore and scrap and agribulk in particular have increased. The main reason for the lack of growth is the continuing economic slump."

The port of Rotterdam's total market share remained stable. The market share for dry bulk increased substantially, but containers showed a slight decline. I expect little change in this next year, because the new container terminals on Maasvlakte 2 will become operational from the end of 2014. In view of, among other things, the macro-economic forecasts by the Central Planning Office and OESO, we estimate that total throughput in Rotterdam will increase by around 1-1.5% in 2014," Smits added.

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