For the first time ever, the Port of Antwerp has surpassed Rotterdam in container throughput for a single quarter, according to figures released on Tuesday.
In the first quarter of this year, Antwerp’s container throughput reached 3.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), compared to Rotterdam’s 3.3 million TEU.
However, the overall cargo volume remained higher in the Dutch port.
There was a significant decline in the trade of iron ore, coal, and oil products in the Netherlands, although this was not entirely linked to container throughput.
Lower Dutch exports, and disruptions at Hutchison Ports in Rotterdam also contributed to the decline.
