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Port of Rotterdam sees continued growth in container handling in 3Q

[ October 30, 2019   //   ]

The port of Rotterdam handled 112.4 million tonnes of freight during the third quarter of 2019. This means a total of 353.5 million tonnes has been transhipped up to the end of the third quarter. Compared with the previous year, this represents a 1% increase in cargo handling. Volume growth was mainly driven by containers, crude oil, LNG and biomass. There was a reduction in the transhipment of coal and mineral oil products.

Allard Castelein, Port of Rotterdam Authority CEO: ‘In the third quarter we again saw healthy growth in terms of containers, one of the Port Authority’s strategic spearheads. What is worrying, however, is that the relationship between the world’s major trading blocs remains strained, as does the continuing uncertainty about the introduction of trade tariffs after Brexit.’

Up to and including the third quarter, the transhipment of containers was 3.3% higher in terms of
tonnes than it had been in the previous year (3.8% measured in TEUs). This growth mainly took place during the first six months of the year, levelling off in the third quarter. This was caused by an overall slowdown in the growth of global trade and a fall in short sea volume of freight being shipped to the Eastern Mediterranean.

Other breakbulk grew by 4.4% up to the end of the third quarter. There was an increase across the breadth of several traditional markets, such as aluminum, steel and paper, but heavy cargo and special projects such as hulls for inland vessels also resulted in more tonnes.

Roll on Roll off (RoRo) charted an erratic course that was strongly influenced by a possible Brexit. In the run-up to the initial Brexit date, a lot of additional stocks were piled up during the first quarter. After the postponement of Brexit to 31 October, volumes then decreased in the period April-August. In September, we saw some growth again. The expectation is that this growth will continue to pick up in October in the run-up to the new Brexit date.

 

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