The expansion contracts of the Prinses Amaliahaven container terminals - signed in the first part of the year – will eventually result in the flow of 4 million TEU, said the Port of Rotterdam in a press release. However, this major expansion is yet to overturn the drop in container throughput seen in the past few months.

During the first half of the year, the Port of Rotterdam experienced a decline in container throughput, handling 6.7 million TEU, which reflects an 8.1% decrease compared to the same period in 2022.

“There are two principal reasons for the decline in container throughput: the termination of volumes to and from Russia and the fall in imports from Asia,” says the port.

Container throughput in terms of tonnes dropped by 9.3%, reaching 64.4 million tonnes in the first six months of 2023.

While revenue increased to approximately $465 million, operating expenses also increased by nearly $11.4 million to $149 million. Nevertheless, Boudewijn Siemons, interim CEO and COO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority kept his focus on the positive achievements of the ports this year.

“Despite economic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions, major advances were made in the first half year in the construction and issuance of new land and quay walls to make room for, among other things, the production and imports of green hydrogen and additional capacity in the container segment,” said Siemons.

“An important step was made with the issuance of the land in the Prinses Amaliahaven to APM Terminals and RWG,” he added.