DECLARED Rotterdam's "best quarter ever" container throughput increased 8.8 per cent to 3.3 million TEU or 10.8 per cent by weight to 34.3 million tonnes year on year in the first quarter of 2017.
"For containers, this was the best quarter ever, and March was a record month. New sailing schedules are favourable to Rotterdam - this is set to be a good container year for us," said Rotterdam Port Authority CEO Allard Castelein.
"Maasvlakte 2 performance continues to improve. Shipping companies have brought back to Rotterdam substantial quantities of transshipment cargo that had been moved elsewhere in late 2015 and early 2016," said the port authority statement.
This was reflected in the 22.4 per cent increase to 5.9 million tonnes in the feeder vessels that convey cargo to and from other ports which to not have many deep sea call, making Rotterdam a major hub port
Roll-on roll-off traffic is still on the rise, including to the United Kingdom, up 6.5 per cent to 5.7 million tonnes. This is mainly due to new services that started late last year.
The throughput of other general cargo increased 49.9 per cent to 1.8 million tonnes, because additional handling of steel slabs. The total throughput of the breakbulk segment (ro-ro and other cargo) increased 4.5 per cent to 7.6 million tonnes.