Freight News, Sea


Rotterdam sees first-half fall

[ July 22, 2025   //   ]

Cargo throughput at the port of Rotterdam decreased by 4.1% to 211.0 million tonnes in the first half of 2025, although container throughput increased 2.7% in TEUs but and decreased in tonnage (1.0%).

The growth in TEU can be explained by the upturn in European consumption, although an increase in the number of empty containers was also a factor. As a result, imports from Asia increased by 8.4%. Throughput to and from North America increased by 9.1%, mainly because of an increase in the number of services since the alliance structure was changed in February of this year.

The largest decline was in dry bulk (-8.9%) and liquid bulk (-5.3%) segments. The port authority said lack of investment in the industry by the market is a cause for concern and although the government has taken positive steps recently to bring the playing field for Dutch industry more in line with that of neighbouring countries, additional measures are necessary.

Chief executive Boudewijn Siemons, said: “In recent months, we as a port have been confronted with economic uncertainties, lagging investments, and disruptions in supply chains. In these turbulent times, as a port, we must ensure that the security of supply of energy, food, and other essential materials in Europe remains guaranteed. It is also very important that industry in the port remains competitive so as not to weaken Europe’s strategic autonomy.”

Despite the challenging economic conditions, a large number of projects are underway to create a future-proof port with net zero CO₂ emissions by 2050, including continuing construction of the Porthos CCS project. The former gas production platform in the North Sea is being converted for the injection of CO₂ for permanent storage in gas fields under the North Sea and is expected to be operational in 2026.

The Port Authority’s revenues rose by 5.2% in the first half of the year to €462.3 million.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) increased by 1.1% to €295.0 million.

Ro ro throughput increased by 0.9% to 12.9 million tonnes. Volumes to and from the UK have not yet recovered from the sluggish economy although the second quarter does show cautious signs of recovery. Other general cargo increased by 3.0% to 3.2 million tonnes, partly due to the delivery of offshore wind foundations, steel pipes for the Porthos project, and an increase in the throughput of steel plates for the offshore industry.

The port of Rotterdam said it had also faced exceptional congestion in the handling of container flows this year. Various causes, such as the transition to new sailing schedules high call  container volumes, work interruptions, and challenging weather conditions at the beginning of the year all played a part. As a result, the inland shipping sector and road transport in particular are experiencing longer waiting times than usual, although the situation on the sea side is under control, said the port.

The arrival of more than 100 container ships with a call size exceeding 12,000 TEU this half year underscores the urgency of the situation. Solutions to make the entire system more efficient and resilient must be sought in structural cooperation within the chain.

The highly integrated industrial cluster of the Port of Rotterdam makes an important contribution to the security of supply of energy, raw materials, and goods. However, the current investment climate in the Netherlands means that companies are increasingly postponing or cancelling their investments, including those in sustainability, despite the Rotterdam port’s good starting position. At the same time, production is increasing in countries outside Europe, where conditions are more favourable.

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