THE HAGUE, February 26. /TASS/. Cargo throughput at the Port of Rotterdam has been declining for the fourth year in a row in 2025 amid the crisis in the European steel industry, the NU.nl. portal reported.
According to the portal, in 2025, the port’s total cargo throughput amounted to 428 million tons, which is down 1.7% year-on-year.
The portal attributed the trend primarily due to a decline in coal, iron ore, and petroleum product shipments amid the crisis in the European steel industry, which is under pressure from high energy prices and cheap imports.
At the same time, container throughput increased, primarily due to increased imports from Asian countries, although exports from Europe declined. The head of the port operator, Boudewijn Siemons, described the past year as challenging, noting that chemical and logistics companies working with the port came under significant pressure. He noted that several chemical plants in Rotterdam closed during the year, and a number of investment projects were halted or postponed. Siemons stressed that concerns about the future developments remain "constantly high."
However, the port told reporters that the impact of US import duties on its operations has been minimal so far. The operator's financial performance also improved: revenue from port fees and land leases increased by almost 7% to €940.4 million, while EBITDA increased by 3.6% to €583.6 million.
The Port of Rotterdam also continues to invest in environmental projects, including the development of green hydrogen infrastructure and carbon dioxide capture and storage technologies. However, as the port authority acknowledged, achieving the 55% emissions reduction target by 2030 is becoming increasingly difficult.
The Port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe, handling over 14 million container operations annually.