Total cargo throughput in the port of Rotterdam fell by 5.8 percent in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period of last year. However, the Porthos project helped bolster breakbulk volumes at the port.
“The first three months of this year were characterised by a high degree of volatility in world trade as a result of threatened import duties in the USA and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East,” said Boudewijn Siemons, ceo of the Port of Rotterdam Authority. “This volatility has led to uncertainty among companies in the areas of trade and investment. We see this reflected in throughput volumes and the willingness to invest.”
In terms of teu, container throughput increased by 2.2 percent to 3.3 million teu in the first quarter. In terms of tonnage, throughput shows a decrease of 1.1 percent compared to the same period last year. This difference is caused by an 8.1 percent decrease in the export of full containers, highlighting the weak market position of European industry and a decrease in the number of transhipped containers in Rotterdam.
Total breakbulk throughput (ro-ro and other breakbulk) increased by 0.6 percent to 7.8 million tonnes.
Ro-ro throughput fell by 1.8 percent to 6.2 million tonnes, with volumes suffering from strong competition from road transport due to low rates and low economic growth in the UK. Other general breakbulk rose by 11.2 percent to 1.6 million tonnes; the increase was partly due to the throughput of tubular piles for the Porthos project.
