Posted on March 5, 2024
Rotterdam was by far the EU port with the highest activity in the second quarter of 2023, with 99 million tonnes of gross weight of goods handled (Figure 1). The second main port was Antwerp-Bruges[1], which handled 62 million tonnes. The third and fourth ports were Hamburg and Amsterdam with 26 and 21 million tonnes, respectively. The fifth port was Gdansk, with 20 million tonnes and showing a growth of 50.7 % compared with the second quarter of 2022. In the same period, the other ports of the top 5 decreased: Hamburg by 7.7 %, Antwerp-Bruges by 4.4 %, Rotterdam by 3.2 % and Amsterdam by 2.1 %.
When looking at the overall annual change, Gdansk registered a large increase by 42.2 %. the other ports of the top 5 decreased Amsterdam by 18.9 %, Rotterdam by 8.9 %, Antwerp-Bruges by 6.7 % and Hamburg by 0.4 %.
When looking at liquid bulk, Rotterdam was by far the main EU port in the second quarter of 2023, followed by Antwerp-Bruges, Marseille, Amsterdam and HAROPA[2] (Figure 2). The two Dutch ports Amsterdam and Rotterdam recorded increases compared with the same quarter of the previous year (+3.8 % and +2.8 %, respectively) . However, they recorded decreases in the overall annual change rate compared with the previous period by -24.0 % and -5.4 %, respectively. The port of HAROPA registered the largest decrease (-6.8 %) compared with the same quarter of 2022, leading to an overall annual change rate compared with the previous period of -10.6 %. Marseille also fell by 4.4 % compared with the same quarter of 2022, but with an overall annual change rates compared with the previous period of +34.7 %. The port of Antwerp-Bruges also slightly decreased by 0.2 % compared with the same quarter of 2022 leading to an overall annual change rate compared with the previous period of -7.3 %.
When looking at dry bulk, Rotterdam was again the main EU port in the second quarter of 2023, followed by Constanta, Amsterdam, Hamburg, and Gdansk (Figure 3). Compared with the same quarter of 2022, Constanta, Gdansk and Hamburg registered large increases by 20.1 %, 16.8 % and 8.4 %, respectively. By contrast, Amsterdam and Rotterdam recorded for the same reference period substantial decreases by 31.1 % and 21.0 %, respectively. When looking at the overall annual change rate compared with the previous period, Gdansk registered a substantial growth (+102.3 %), while Constanta recorded a 2.6 % increase. By contrast, Amsterdam recorded a large fall (-17.0 %). Rotterdam and Constanta also decreased by 7.0 % and 2.1 %, respectively.
In the large container cargo segment, Antwerp-Bruges was the main EU port in the second quarter of 2023, closely followed by Rotterdam. Hamburg, Algeciras and Valencia completed the top five EU ports (Figure 4). All five ports recorded a decrease compared with the same quarter of the previous year, with the exception of Algeciras, which increased by 2.7 %. The largest drop was registered by Valencia (-10.7 %), leading to an overall annual change of -14.7 %. Rotterdam, Hamburg and Antwerp-Bruges also showed a fall compared with the same quarter of the previous year (-6.2 %, -6.1 % and -4.7 %, respectively). When looking at the overall annual change compared with the previous period, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Antwerp-Bruges and Algeciras recorded falls by 11.0 %, 10.7 %, 7.2 % and 0.6 %, respectively.
When looking at the number of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) handled in the same period (Figure 5), the ranking was slightly different to the one based on tonnes of containerised goods. Rotterdam was ranked first and Antwerp-Bruges, second. Moreover, Piraeus took the fourth place, while Algeciras did not appear in the top five. All ports decreased in the second quarter of 2023 compared with the same quarter of 2022, with the exception of Piraeus, which substantially increased by 15.7 %. The highest drop was recorded by Valencia (-11.6 %), followed by Hamburg (-6.8 %), Antwerp-Bruges (-3.9 %) and Rotterdam (-3.6nbsp;%), . Regarding the overall annual change compared with the previous period, Valencia also recorded the highest decrease (-12.3 %), followed by Hamburg (-11.4 %), Rotterdam (-7.5 %) and Antwerp-Bruges (-4.5 %). By contrast, Piraeus registered an increase by 5.0 %.
When looking at the tonnage of Ro-Ro mobile units, the picture is different compared with the other types of cargo. Antwerp-Bruges was the largest EU Ro-Ro port in the second quarter of 2023. It was followed by Rotterdam, Calais, Livorno and Trelleborg.
Compared with the same quarter of 2022, Livorno and Calais substantially increased in the second quarter of 2023, by 18.3 % and 14.6 %, respectively. By contrast, Rotterdam recorded the highest decrease by 10.2 %, followed by Trelleborg (-5.9 %) and Antwerp-Bruges (-0.1 %). When looking at the overall annual change compared with the previous period, all top 5 ports recorded a decrease: Calais by 24.0 %, Livorno by 22.0 %, Rotterdam by 7.1 %, Trelleborg by 2.8 % and Antwerp-Bruges by 0.6 %.
When looking at the tonnes of other general cargo, Amsterdam ranked first in the second quarter of 2023, followed by Antwerp-Bruges, Rotterdam, Valencia and Ravenna (Figure 7). Ravenna and Amsterdam registered substantial increases compared with the same quarter of 2022, by 331.6 % and 164.2 %, respectively. By contrast, Antwerp-Bruges and Rotterdam recorded substantial falls over the same period, by 13.8 % and 12.2 %, respectively, while Valencia decreased by 4.7 %. When looking at the overall annual change rates compared with the previous period, Amsterdam and Ravenna also substantially increased by 112.5 % and 85.3 %, respectively. By contrast, Antwerp-Bruges substantially decreased by 17.0 %, while Valencia and Rotterdam fell by 5.9 % and 2.7 %, respectively.
Data sources and availability
The content of this statistical article is based on data collected within the framework of the EU maritime transport statistics Directive 2009/42/EC on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers by sea.
Data are presented at the level of ‘statistical ports’. A statistical port consists of one or more ports, normally controlled by a single port authority, able to record ship and cargo movements. All figures are based on ports’ total (inward + outward) declarations. The results represent the ‘handling’ of goods in ports.
1.Type of cargo: the following thirteen cargo types are used: liquefied gas, crude oil, oil products, other liquid bulk goods, ores, coal, agricultural products, other dry bulk goods, large containers, Ro-Ro mobile units, forestry products, iron/steel products and other general cargo. The first four types constitute ‘liquid bulk’, the subsequent four types ‘dry bulk’ and the last three types ‘other general cargo not elsewhere specified’.
Quarterly data are in general provisional. Revisions may be made by countries as more complete information becomes available or as a result of quality checks. More specifically, when the complete set of annual data emerges, this usually involves some revision of quarterly data for some countries.
Annual data as presented in this publication are the rolling four quarter totals ending in the latest quarter and the corresponding four quarters for earlier years. As a result, the four quarters included do not necessarily come from the same calendar year. The ‘annual’ growth rates show the percentage change for the four quarters ending in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the four quarters ending in the second quarter of 2022.
The basic results (in million tonnes) and the derived indicators (growth rates) shown in the figures are rounded. However, they are all based on non-rounded original data, as available in Eurostat’s database.
Specific remarks for data up to and including the second quarter of 2023:
• Starting from 2022Q1, the ports Antwerpen and Zeebrugge have been merged and the data are reported under the new port name Antwerp-Bruges.
• Starting from 2022Q1, the ports Le Havre and Rouen have been merged and the data are reported under the new port name HAROPA.
Due to revisions of the underlying data, figures in this article may differ from figures currently or previously available on Eurostat’s website.
Context
The content of this statistical article is based on data collected within the framework of the EU maritime transport statistics Directive 2009/42/EC of 6 May 2009 on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers by sea, which is a recast of the original Council Directive 95/64/EC of 8 December 1995.
