Stable the traffic of the goods in the port of Rotterdam in the first trimester



In the first three months of this year the traffic of the goods in the port of Rotterdam, that it is the main European port of call for volume enlivened total, has remained almost stable being piled to 108,9 million tons regarding 109,1 million tons in the first trimester of 2013. An sensitive rise of the traffic of the bulk sand banks, the goods conventional and the rotabili in fact has compensated a reduction of the volume of the liquid bulk, while the volume of containerized cargos has only recorded an light increment.

Commenting the course of the activity in the Dutch port in the first phase of the 2014 managing director of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Allard Castelein, it has explained that "initially the tendency to a bending of the second half of 2013 is continued but, graces to a remarkable freedom of expression, in the first three months the traffic however has remained the same one almost".

In the first trimester of the 2014 liquid bulk volume enlivened from the port of Rotterdam it is dropped of -7,7% to the 49,2 million one tons. In particular, the oil imports crude oil are diminished of beyond 400 thousand tons coming down at less than 24 million tons; this decrease - it has explained the Dutch Harbour Authority - is caused lasting of the lowland asks of producing refined in Europe and from the increasing competition by the extra-European refineries. The traffic of producing oil has totaled a contraction of 2,8 million tons (- 13.7%) coming down to 18 million tons. The other liquid bulk is diminished of -13,6% to the 7,2 million one tons.

In the field of the solid bulk the traffic is increased of +15.0% 23,0 million to tons totally. The mineral imports are increased of +9.4% and this - it has found the authority harbour - as a result of an ulterior concentration of the mineral supplies to the European systems iron and steel through Rotterdam, by where the mineral it is transported on smaller ships by sea towards Bremen and Dunkerque and through internal the navigable ways to other destinations, between which Gand. The coal traffic is increased million tons (+14.7%) almost 7,7 million one to tons; the majority of this increase - it has specified the harbour agency - is due to the low volume of enlivened traffic in March last year. In agricultural bulk traffic it has recorded a fort rise of +69.4% to beyond 2,8 million tons because of the increase of the maize traffic from Ukraine. The other solid bulk (material from construction, minerals, biomasses) has realized an increment of +12.6% to 3,5 million tons.

In the section of the container the traffic has been attested to 30,4 million tons (+1.2%) with a handling of containers that has been pairs to 2.905.672 teu (+0.3%). The traffic ro-ro has shown a progression of +9.0% going up to 4,8 million tons graces mainly to the improvement of the British economy. The other goods several (not ferrous steel, metals, paper, yields, project cargo) has grown of +8.9% to 1,4 million tons.

Castelein previews that in the entire the 2014 port of Rotterdam it will record an light increase of the traffic. The president of the Harbour Authority has specified that but its attention will be focused mainly "on the structural developments that are placing the port of Rotterdam under pressure. These - it has explained - include the sovracapacità in the field of the European refineries, the fast increase of gases from clay Americans who are putting under pressure the investments in the European field of the chemicals ones and the changes in the field of the container. The shipowners - it has found Castelein - are constructing more and more large container vessels and begin to collaborate intensely in order to fill up them in optimal way; meanwhile an ulterior ability in the terminals of many European north-western ports is realized, while the economic increase has remained behind. Together with the customers and to the stakeholder - it has concluded - we are working in order to face these challenges".