The two largest container ports in Europe, Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges, both experienced declines in throughput for the first nine months of 2023, along with a decrease in overall tonnage handled.
In Rotterdam, the total cargo handled was 329.9Mt, a 6% decrease from the 351Mt processed in the same period in 2022. The decline was attributed to poor performances in the coal and container sectors, although there was an increase in volumes of iron ore, scrap, agricultural bulk, and LNG.
The decrease in total throughput volume was linked to limited global economic growth and geopolitical tensions impacting world trade volumes and industrial production. Container traffic in Rotterdam also declined, as did ro-ro and general cargo sectors.
Antwerp-Bruges saw a similar 6% decrease in total tonnage handled, with a decline in box traffic and general cargo/breakbulk volumes. Despite this, the port’s share of container handling activity within the Le Havre-Hamburg port range increased to 30.6%.
While Antwerp-Bruges’ ro-ro business performed better than Rotterdam’s, challenges remain for the port in 2023 due to economic and geopolitical concerns. The CEO of Antwerp-Bruges acknowledged that the year will be difficult, with container throughput still being affected by cancelled sailings from the Far East.
Overall, both ports faced challenges in the first nine months of 2023, with ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainties impacting their operations.
