Port of Rotterdam Closes September with a 0.9% Rise in Total Port Throughput

The Port of Rotterdam handled 323.2 million tonnes of cargo during the first nine months of 2026, representing growth of 0.9% compared to the same period last year. The increase was mainly driven by higher volumes of coal, other dry bulk, crude oil and petroleum products, while iron ore and scrap, agribulk, LNG, other liquid bulk, containers measured in tonnage, and general cargo all declined.

Dry bulk grew 2.1% year-to-date. Coal rose 15.3%, driven by the recovery of coking coal for the European steel industry after the exceptionally low levels seen in 2025, and by higher demand for thermal coal due to high gas prices linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Iron ore and scrap, on the other hand, fell 5.9% despite German steel production growing 6%, as low water levels on European rivers raised transport costs and restricted the availability of raw materials. Agribulk dropped 11.4% following the stockpiling carried out in 2025, while other dry bulk rose 15% on higher demand for construction materials in the Netherlands and Germany.

Liquid bulk increased 3.1%. Crude oil grew 2.1% as European refineries imported and processed more oil following the loss of refined product imports from the Middle East due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which also boosted petroleum product throughput by 11.1%, with exports jumping 31.9% against a 6.9% drop in imports. LNG remained virtually stable, with a slight decrease of 0.2%, while other liquid bulk fell 3.8%, as the rise in imports of biofuels and their feedstocks failed to offset the decline in chemicals, hit by weak industrial production in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Container throughput remained virtually flat in TEUs, up 0.1%, although it fell 2.2% in tonnage. Hinterland-bound volume grew 7.2%, supported by an 8.9% rise in imports of full containers and a 1% increase in exports of full containers, which also boosted empty container movements. Transshipment, by contrast, plunged 20% due to capacity constraints at Rotterdam's deep-sea terminals, which diverted part of that cargo to other ports. General cargo slipped 1.4%, with a slight 0.7% uptick in ro-ro and a 10.2% drop in the rest of breakbulk, hit by the stagnation of European manufacturing, particularly the automotive and capital goods industries.

Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, noted that the throughput figures show the port's ability to adapt to a changing environment, even as low river water levels, shifts in energy flows and pressure on European industry affected several markets. He highlighted the growth of key cargo flows to and from the European hinterland and underscored the importance of strong inland connections for Europe's supply security and competitiveness, stressing the need to keep investing in future-ready road, inland waterway and rail networks.