The Port of Rotterdam saw a throughput decline by 5.8 per cent in Q1 2025, falling to 103.7 million tonnes from 110.1 million tonnes in the same period last year.
The drop was driven by reduced volumes of crude oil, oil products, iron ore, and coal, while agribulk, other dry bulk, and container throughput saw gains.
US import duties on European exports had not yet impacted first-quarter figures.
Container throughput at the Port of Rotterdam rose 2.2 per cent in Q1 2025 to 3.3 million TEUs.
However, total container tonnage declined by 1.1 per cent year-over-year (YoY), driven by an 8.1 per cent drop in full export containers, which are typically heavier.
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Transatlantic container traffic fell 23.1 per cent due to the relocation of two services to other ports amid capacity constraints.
Meanwhile, Asian trade rose 8.4 per cent on higher consumer goods imports. Breakbulk throughput edged up 0.6 per cent to 7.8 million tonnes.
RoRo cargo fell 1.8 per cent to 6.2 million tonnes, pressured by weak UK demand and road transport competition.
General breakbulk jumped 11.2 per cent to 1.6 million tonnes, supported by tubular pile shipments for the Porthos project.
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Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of Port of Rotterdam, said: “The first three months of this year were characterised by a high degree of volatility in world trade as a result of threatened import duties in the US and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
“This volatility has led to uncertainty among companies in the areas of trade and investment. In these uncertain times, it remains as important as ever that, together with national and European governments, the Port of Rotterdam continues to work towards a competitive European investment climate
