The Port of Gothenburg has handled 430,000 TEU in January to June in 2022 – a 5 per cent increase on last year’s levels.
The port is increasing its market share in Sweden, currently accounting for 52 per cent of the Swedish container market, compared with 48 per cent at the beginning of last year.
“As a port, we’ve shown that we can provide Swedish industry with efficient service, despite the fact that the global logistics system continues to experience successive forms of disruption, causing problems in many ports. So it’s logical that Gothenburg is increasingly becoming the port of choice,” said Elvir Dzanic, CEO of the Gothenburg Port Authority.
Container transport activities by rail to and from the port have increased by 10 per cent compared with the same period last year.
The Railport Scandinavia railway system links the Port of Gothenburg with over 30 inland terminals at locations all over Sweden, and is one strong contributory factor behind the increase in container volumes in the Port.
New locations were added to the system during the first half of 2022, while existing traffic has seen additional growth.
While freight volumes at the biggest port in the Nordic region continue to grow in virtually all segments, many analysts believe that Sweden is heading into a recession.
The Swedish government is expecting a slowdown in global growth, and foresees major uncertainty for the Swedish economy ahead of next year.
Dzanic commented: “When we look to the future, talk to our customers and see what their order books look like, we have quite a positive view of the situation. No one is budgeting for lower volumes, either for the rest of this year or into next year.
“But having said that, I’m not oblivious to the world at large. We see the war in Ukraine and what’s happening with inflation, interest rates and electricity prices, just like everyone else. But the signals I’m picking up from the industrial sector don’t suggest reduced production volumes, rather the opposite.”
