Freight News

Rotterdam holds steady despite Hormuz

[ April 22, 2026   //   Chris Lewis ]

Throughput at the port of Rotterdam fell slightly by 0.7% in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last from 103.7 million tonnes to 103.0 million tonnes. The decline is mainly due to a reduction in the throughput of agribulk, coal, other liquid bulk and breakbulk but containers increased by 0.3% in TEUs compared with the first quarter of 2025. Volumes are lower than expected due to an update to the Terminal Operating System at one of the major container terminals. Throughput in tonnes fell by 3.2, due a 14% rise in exports of empty containers, particularly to Asia.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz had only a limited impact on containers, said the port. Direct container traffic to and from the Middle East accounts for 1.2% of the total volume, although the indirect effects of the war on the sector could have a much greater impact through economic downturn and falling purchasing power.

RoRo volumes rose by 1.6% as a result of the modest economic recovery in the UK.

Tags: Rotterdam