Rotterdam throughput falls in first nine months of 2025
(Posted on 04/11/25)
Total throughput in the port of Rotterdam fell slightly by 2.6% in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year. In the first nine months of this year, throughput was 320.2 million tonnes, compared to 328.9 million tonnes in the first nine months of 2024. The decline is mainly due to lower throughput of iron ore and mineral oil products. The throughput of agribulk, crude oil, LNG, and containers increased.
The throughput of dry bulk decreased by 5.6% compared to the same period last year. The main reason for the decline is the sharp drop in the throughput of iron ore and scrap by 12.7% and 2.9 million tonnes. The decline in German steel production continued in the third quarter, under pressure from ongoing economic uncertainty and trade barriers. Electrical steel production also declined, albeit to a lesser extent, resulting in slightly higher scrap exports.
Coal throughput fell by 5.3% compared to 2024, mainly due to reduced demand for coking coal in the steel industry. In contrast, the use of energy coal in the Netherlands and Germany increased due to higher energy demand that could not be fully met by additional solar and wind energy, particularly in the first quarter of 2025. The growth in imports of agribulk goods continued in the third quarter. As a result, throughput in this segment increased by 16.8% compared to last year. This increase is mainly due to the commissioning of a new dry bulk terminal in Rotterdam. Due to lagging industrial production in Germany, demand for raw materials is limited. The throughput of other dry bulk therefore shows a decline of 7.2% in the first nine months of 2025.d.
Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of Port of Rotterdam Authority said, “Although total throughput volumes showed a slight decline in the first nine months of this year, developments in areas such as container throughput and the throughput of renewable fuels confirm the resilience and strategic value of the port of Rotterdam. At the same time, European industry is still under enormous pressure, which underscores the need to continue investing jointly in innovation, sustainability, and logistical efficiency.”
The throughput of liquid bulk declined by 3.4% to 146.4 million tonnes in the third quarter. Throughput in the container segment increased by 3.0% to 10.7 million TEU (the standard unit for containers) in the first nine months. Total breakbulk throughput (Roll-on/Roll-off and other breakbulk) increased by 0.2% to 24.0 million tonnes. RoRo throughput decreased by 0.1%. Volumes to and from the United Kingdom have not yet recovered. The last six months have shown cautious signs of recovery. Other breakbulk rose 1.1% to 4.6 million tonnes. This increase was partly due to the delivery of monopiles (offshore wind foundations), steel pipes for the Porthos project, and an increase in the throughput of steel plates for the offshore industry.
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