Port of Rotterdam Q1 freight volumes down slightly

Total freight throughput at the Port of Rotterdam fell slightly in the first quarter, mainly in dry bulk and crude oil.

In the first quarter of 2018, 1.2% less freight passed through the Port of Rotterdam than in the same period last year.

In total, 117.8 million tonnes were handled against 119.3 million tonnes in the same period in 2017. The fall mainly concerned the throughput of coal, iron ore, scrap and crude oil In contrast, the growth in container throughput continued to increase significantly (+6.1% in teu, +4.6% in tonnes). The throughput of mineral oil products increased, particularly distribution. The throughput of biomass and LNG increased spectacularly.

Allard Castelein, CEO Port of Rotterdam Authority: “The continued growth in container throughput is a confirmation that Rotterdam is taking an increasingly important position in the maritime connection networks of large shipping company alliances. We are seeing a somewhat more measured growth after the significant growth last year, and this is entirely in accordance with our expectations.”

In total, liquid bulk throughput remained almost constant with a slight growth of 0.5% to 55.9 million tonnes. Within this segment, crude oil was down 4.5% in the first quarter of last year. This difference is mainly a result of an exceptionally high throughput last year.

The throughput of mineral oil products, which fell structurally throughout last year, saw an upward trend again last quarter (+4.8%). The fall in the supply and distribution of fuel oil has halted. In the first quarter, the throughput of LNG was much higher than last year (+210%; 0.7 million tonnes), with a record volume of over 500,000 tonnes in February. This growth concerned both the supply and distribution of LNG. This confirms the importance of Rotterdam as LNG trading hub.

For more information, visit: www.portofrotterdam.com

23rd April 2018