In the second quarter of this year it has accentuated Significantly the decline in freight traffic volumes enlivened by the port of Rotterdam, negative trend that, if in the three previous quarters had recorded year-over-year declines around -1%, in the period April-June 2023 exacerbated having occurred a decrease of -9.2% with 109.0 million tonnes of cargo handled compared to 120.1 million in the second quarter of 2022. The reduction concerned and goods on landing, amounted to 78.1 million tons (-8.6%), and cargo at boarding, which totaled 31.0 million tons (- 10.6%).

The total loads handled in the second quarter of 2023, moreover, it is -6.3% lower than in the same period of 2021 when the effects on operations were still felt ports of the coronavirus pandemic, it is higher than +2.3% compared to the second quarter of 2020 when the health crisis was at its peak and is -6.9% lower than the second quarter of 2019 when the global health emergency was not still in place.

In particular, in the period April-June of this year the only container traffic decreased compared to the same periods of the previous four years having been enlivened 32.9 million tons of containers, with bending respectively -7.0%, -18.3%, -10.4% and -16.0% on the corresponding periods of 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019. In terms of 20' containers, in the second quarter of 2023 the containerized trade has been equal to 3.46 million teu (respectively -4.8%, -11.5%, +0.1% and -9.2%). Containerized trade was mainly affected by the cessation of flows with Russia and contraction of imports from Asia. The other miscellaneous goods, on the other hand, have recorded decreases compared to 2022 and increases compared to the years Previous: rolling stock amounted to 6.7 million tons (-4.1%, +8.8%, +37.9% and +13.6%) and other general goods 2.1 million of tons (-4.0%, +16.4%, +43.1% and +28.5%).

In the second quarter of this year bulk traffic liquide has attested to 50,5 million tons (- 6.5%, +3.6%, +2.2% -2.3%), of which 25.6 million tons of oil crude (-5.6%, +2.9%, +5.0% and +5.5%), 12.2 million tons of refined petroleum products (-14.8%, -11.3%, -21.0% and -27.8%), 2,9 million tons of liquefied natural gas (+5.5%, +33.9%, +61.5% and +44.1%) and 9,8 million tons of other cargos liquids (-0.2%, +23.0%, +25.7% and +14.8%). In bulk Dry total was 12.8 million tons (-21.7%, -13.1%, +19.6% and -10.0%), including 6.8 million tons of minerals and scrap (+7.8%, -15.4%, +54.9% and -18.8%), 5.0 million of tons of coal (-42.2%, -9.8%, +34.1% and -0.1%), 2.7 million tons of agricultural bulk (+39.4%, +17.8%, +6.9% and +21.4%) and 2,3 million tons of other solid bulk (- 49.5%, -33.6%, -32.7% and -24.8%).

In the first semester of 2023 the Dutch port of call has handled a total of 220.7 million tons of goods, with a decrease of -5.5% on the first half of last year, of which 156.6 million tons of cargo on landing (- 5.3%) and 64.1 million tons of cargos at boarding (- 5.7%). Container traffic alone was globally almost 6,7 million teu (- 8.2%).

For the whole 2023 the Port Authority of Rotterdam expects total traffic to decline slightly on the previous year.