The Port of Rotterdam announced a 1% rise in cargo handing, after it handled 112.4 million tonnes of freight, meaning that the total of 353.5 million tonnes were transmitted up to the end of the third quarter.
Volume growth was mainly driven by containers, crude oil, LNG and biomass. There was a reduction in the transshipment 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."
A total of 55.9 million tonnes of dry bulk was transshipped up to the end of the third quarter. That is a fall of 1.4% compared to last year. Iron ore transshipment grew by 2% to the end of the third quarter. This growth mainly took place during the first six months of the year.
By the end of the third quarter, the transshipment of liquid bulk totaled 159.5 million tonnes. This was almost equal to last year’s volume. The transshipment of crude oil was above last year’s level in all three quarters, an increase of 2.8%.
Up to and including the third quarter, the transshipment 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, leveling off in the third quarter.