[ 1997 Throughput Over 307 Million Tonnes ]

Rotterdam, Containers Up to 5.4 Million TEU

Goods throughput in the port of Rotterdam rose to 307.3 million tonnes
in 1997, which represents 5.2% growth on the previous year and an his
toric record. The trends in throughput of the first half of the year
were continued, Major climbers were coal(+18.6%), oil products(+37.9%)
, ores and scrap(14.8%), and roll on/roll off(+19.3%). The number of
containers, expressed in TEU, was 8.2% up, crossing the 5 million mark
to 5.43 million TEU. This growth is the highest in the past ten year
s.
A decrease of crude oil throughput in 1997 by 6 million tonnes(-2.1%)
influenced the record figures negatively, 1996 happened to be an excel
lent ‘oil year’. Taken over a longer period, incoming trade in crud
e oil is reasonably stable, Crude oil is the largest individual goods
flow passing through the port of Rotterdam.
The 8.2%(+404,000TEU) growth of the container sector brought the total
up to 5,430,000TEU. This is the largest annual increase in the past
ten years.
The most important shipping regions in the field of container transpor
t via the port of Rotterdam are Europe, Asia and America in that order
. The highest level of growth is shown in container transport to and
from Asia. In 1995 Asia was the most important shipping region with a
39.4% share of all maritime container traffic via Rotterdam. During
the period of 1990-1996, container traffic to and from Asia rose by 73
% from 1 million TEU to 1.8 million containers.
In the first half of 1997, container throughput to and from Asia rose
by 15.5% in comparison with the same period in 1996. Growth was consi
derably lower in the second half-year, on the basis of the results of
market-leader P&O Nedlloyd (40% of the volume carried by the Far Easte
rn Freight Conference). This shipping line announced that there had be
en virtually no growth in the third quarter. This can be compensated
for by others. For example: Hyundai Benelux doubled its 1996 volume to
100,000 containers. The other Korean shipping lines also expressed o
ptimism about results. Added to the general Asia projections for 1998
, Eastbound plus 9-10 % and Westbound 10-12%, it may be assumed that t
raffic between Rotterdam and Asia over 1997 as a whole will show at le
ast the general increase percentage of around 10%.