Throughput in the port of Rotterdam, Europe's largest sea port, fell 1.5% in the first quarter as high inflation slowed down container traffic, the port's operator has said.
"Especially in the container segment, we faced a decline in volumes due to high inflation and a weakening economy," port CEO Allard Castelein said in a statement.
"Results in the other segments mainly show growth and confirm that dependence on Russian energy flows has been further reduced in line with the sanctions."
Castelein said the port expected "a limited decline" in volumes for the whole of 2023 due to geopolitical uncertainties and persistently high inflation.
Liquid bulk throughput increased almost 6% in the first quarter, with the supply of crude up 3% as oil from the United States, West Africa and the Middle East replaced Russian flows.
Container Shipping
Container volumes dropped almost 12%, also because the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in the first quarter of last year was still limited.
In the past, shipments to and from Russia accounted for 8% of total container throughput in Rotterdam, the port said.
The decline in imports from Asia due to lower demand for physical goods due to accumulated stocks and inflation was also reflected in the throughput figures, according to the statement.
Shipping, which transports around 90% of world trade and accounts for nearly 3% of the world's CO2 emissions, is under growing pressure from environmentalists to deliver more concrete action, including a carbon levy.
News by Reuters, edited by ESM – your source for the latest supply chain news. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
