Port of Rotterdam sees 350 million tons for 2004
The port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest container port, said cargo throughput for 2004 totaled 354 million tons, an 8 percent increase over 2003. According to the port this is the largest increase in annual growth since 1979 when a 11 percent rise was recorded.
The port recorded a 16 percent increase in container throughput from 7.1 million TEUs in 2003, to 8.2 million TEUs in the last year. Increases were also witnessed in the transshipment of coal (up 7 percent), ores and scrap (5 percent), other dry bulk cargo (10 percent), crude oil (4 percent), oil products (22 percent), roll on/roll off (5 percent), and other general cargo (7 percent).
Total cargo imports increased 7 percent to 273 million tons, while exports increased by 12 percent to 81 million tons.
The port said China has replaced the United States as the second-largest country, behind the United Kingdom, moving containers to and from Rotterdam. The port also reported a 40 percent increase in container movement between Brazil and Rotterdam.