The Port of Rotterdam recorded a total throughput of 212.0 million tonnes in the first half of 2026, up 0.4 per cent year-on-year, as growth in dry and liquid bulk offset a dip in containers and breakbulk.
Dry bulk throughput rose by 1.7 per cent, driven largely by a recovery in coking coal and stronger construction-related demand for other dry bulk, whilst liquid bulk grew by 2.4 per cent as European refineries increased crude oil imports and processing following disruption linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Container throughput fell by 0.1 per cent in TEUs and 2.6 per cent in tonnes, to 98.5 million tonnes. Deep-sea volumes grew by 5.2 per cent in TEUs, with import volumes from Asia up 8 per cent, whilst exports of full containers fell by 1 per cent, widening the imbalance between import and export flows.
Throughput to and from North America increased by 13 per cent on the back of additional services, though transhipment volumes fell by 20 per cent, which the port attributed to a lack of available terminal capacity.
As a result, the container sector recorded no net growth over the half-year. The Port Authority said additional capacity due to come online at several container terminals from the end of the year should create renewed room for growth.
Direct container traffic to and from Persian Gulf countries accounts for just 1 per cent of total container volume, with new routes established quickly via alternative ports following the strait’s closure, limiting the impact on Rotterdam.
READ: Rotterdam-Munich rail link cuts road reliance for trailers
Boudewijn Siemons, Chief Executive Officer, Port of Rotterdam Authority, said: “Although direct impact on the operations and throughput in the port of Rotterdam has so far been limited, the higher energy prices and increasing uncertainty has rocked the international market. The events highlight the importance of robust supply chains and a strong European energy infrastructure.”
The port continued to advance several infrastructure and technology projects during the period. Shore power capacity was extended to vessels docking at Parkkade, building on an existing installation for cruise ships at Wilhelminakade.
The first section of the national hydrogen network, a 32-kilometre pipeline linking the Maasvlakte and Pernis, was also symbolically activated, with plans to extend the network to other industrial regions and link it to storage sites and hydrogen networks in Germany and Belgium. In May, the port completed its first ethanol bunkering of a seagoing vessel, using an ethanol-methanol fuel mix.
Financially, the Port Authority reported a net result of €144.8 million ($165.2 million) for the half-year, up 0.9 per cent, with revenues rising 3.2 per cent to €477.0 million. Investment totalled €126.0 million ($143 million), 7 per cent lower than the same period last year, which the Authority attributed to reduced capital injection into Porthos compared with 2025.
For more information:
Port of Rotterdam – https://www.portofrotterdam.com/
