Maritime transport of goods at port level - quarterly data

Data extracted in April 2024

Planned article update: 26 July 2024

Highlights

Rotterdam continues to lead the EU in port activity, with 99 million tonnes of goods handled in the third quarter of 2023.

Top 5 EU maritime ports, 2022Q3-2023Q3
(million tonnes)
Source: Eurostat (mar_qg_qm_pwh)

This article presents quarterly statistics on maritime transport of goods in the European Union (EU) ports. It covers the gross weight of goods handled in the main EU ports, by type of cargo.

The article contains data for the third quarter of 2023. Please note that the quarterly port activity figures are provisional and subject to revision.

Full article

Rotterdam remained the EU port with highest activity in the third quarter of 2023

Rotterdam was by far the EU port with the highest activity in the third quarter of 2023, with 99 million tonnes of gross weight of goods handled (Figure 1). The second main port was Antwerp-Bruges^[1], which handled 58 million tonnes. The third port was Hamburg with 24 million tonnes. The fourth and fifth ports were HAROPA^[2] and Gdansk, with 20 million tonnes each. Gdansk grew substantially by 20.9 % compared with the third quarter of 2022. In the same period, the other ports in the top 5 decreased: Rotterdam by 8.2 %, Hamburg by 6.4 %, Antwerp-Bruges by 5.8 % and HAROPA by 2.5 %.

When looking at the overall annual change, Gdansk experienced a significant increase of 41.2 %. The other ports in the top 5 decreased: HAROPA and Hamburg by both 7.6 %, Antwerp-Bruges by 5.5 % and Rotterdam by 5.1 %.

Figure 1: Top 5 EU maritime ports, 2022Q3-2023Q3
(million tonnes)
Source: Eurostat (mar_qg_qm_pwh)

When looking at liquid bulk, Rotterdam was by far the main EU port in the third quarter of 2023, followed by Antwerp-Bruges, Marseille, HAROPA and Trieste (Figure 2). The two French ports, Marseille and HAROPA, increased compared with the same quarter of the previous year (+18.9 % and +6.0 %, respectively). Trieste also substantially increased by 8.3 %. By contrast, Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges fell by 6.8 % and 1.8 %, respectively. When looking at the overall annual change rate compared with the previous period, HAROPA registered the largest decrease (-7.1 %). Trieste and Antwerp-Bruges also fell by 2.5 % and 2.0 %, respectively. By contrast, Marseille increased by 2.2 %, while Rotterdam remained stable.

Figure 2: Top 5 EU maritime ports for liquid bulk, 2022Q3-2023Q3
(million tonnes)
Source: Eurostat (mar_qg_qm_pwhl)

When looking at dry bulk, Rotterdam was again the main EU port in the third quarter of 2023, followed by Constanta, Amsterdam, Hamburg, and Gdansk (Figure 3). Compared with the same quarter of 2022, Constanta increased largely by 32.6 %. By contrast, the four other ports decreased substantially: Amsterdam by 20.7 %, Gdansk by 17.0 %, Hamburg by 14.5 % and Rotterdam by 12.7 %. When looking at the overall annual change rate compared with the previous period, Gdansk grew substantially by 55.0 %, followed by Constanta, with a 13.2 % increase. By contrast, Amsterdam and Rotterdam fell by 22.2 % and 10.4 %, respectively. Hamburg also decreased by 4.3 %.

Figure 3: Top 5 EU maritime ports for dry bulk, 2022Q3-2023Q3
(million tonnes)
Source: Eurostat (mar_qg_qm_pwhb)

In the large container cargo segment, Rotterdam was also the main EU port in the third quarter of 2023, closely followed by Antwerp-Bruges. Hamburg, Algeciras and Valencia completed the top five EU ports (Figure 4). All five ports decreased compared with the same quarter of the previous year. The largest drop was registered by Valencia (-6.7 %), leading to an overall annual change of -13.8 %. Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges fell by 5.5 % and 5.4 %, respectively, compared with the same quarter of the previous year, leading to overall annual changes of 6.3 % and 9.5 %. Hamburg also decreased by 2.2 % compared with the same quarter of the previous year, with an overall annual change of -9.9 %. Algeciras also fell compared with the same quarter of the previous year, but more moderately by 0.9 %, with an overall annual change of -0.3 %.

Figure 4: Top 5 EU maritime ports for large containers, 2022Q3-2023Q3
(million tonnes)
Source: Eurostat (mar_qg_qm_pwhc)

When looking at the number of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) handled in the same period (Figure 5), the ranking was slightly different to the one based on tonnes of containerised goods. Indeed, Piraeus took fourth place, while Valencia did not appear in the top five. All ports decreased in the third quarter of 2023 compared with the same quarter of 2022, with the exception of Piraeus, which increased by 5.1 %. The highest drop was recorded by Antwerp-Bruges (-9.0 %), followed by Rotterdam (-6.6 %), Algeciras (-1.6 %) and Hamburg (-0.5 %). Regarding the overall annual change compared with the previous period, Hamburg recorded the highest decrease (-9.7 %), followed by Rotterdam (-7.8 %), Antwerp-Bruges (-6.0 %) and Algeciras (-1.0 %). By contrast, Piraeus registered an increase of 8.9 %.

Figure 5: Top 5 EU maritime ports for large containers, 2022Q3-2023Q3
(thousand TEUs)
Source: Eurostat (mar_qg_qm_pvh)

When looking at the tonnage of Ro-Ro mobile units, the picture is different compared with the other types of cargo. Antwerp-Bruges was the largest EU Ro-Ro port in the third quarter of 2023. It was followed by Rotterdam, Calais, Dublin and Lubeck (Figure 6).

Compared with the same quarter of 2022, Calais substantially increased in the third quarter of 2023, by 10.0 %. By contrast, the four other ports decreased. Rotterdam recorded the highest decrease by 7.8 %, followed by Lubeck (-6.0 %), Antwerp-Bruges (-3.6 %) and Dublin (-2.7 %). When looking at the overall annual change compared with the previous period, all top 5 ports decreased: Calais by 20.4 %, Lubeck by 8.7 %, Rotterdam by 7.7 %, Antwerp-Bruges by 2.1 % and Dublin by 2.0 %.

Figure 6: Top 5 EU maritime ports for Ro-Ro mobile units, 2022Q3-2023Q3
(million tonnes)
Source: Eurostat (mar_qg_qm_pwhr)

When looking at the tonnes for other general cargo, Antwerp-Bruges ranked first in the third quarter of 2023, followed by Valencia, Rotterdam Ravenna and Gent (Ghent) (Figure 7). Ravenna and Gent (Ghent) increased substantially compared with the same quarter of 2022, by 252.3 % and 111.7 %, respectively, while Valencia increased by 5.6 %. By contrast, Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges fell over the same period, by 32.2 % and 18.9 %, respectively. When looking at the overall annual change rates compared with the previous period, Ravenna also substantially increased by 174.8 %, while Gent (Ghent) increased by 0.7 %. By contrast, Antwerp-Bruges and Rotterdam substantially decreased by 19.0 % and 14.7 %, respectively, while Valencia fell by 2.3 %.

Figure 7: Top 5 EU maritime ports for other general cargo, 2022Q3-2023Q3
(million tonnes)
Source: Eurostat (mar_qg_qm_pwho)

Source data for tables and graphs

Maritime transport of goods at port level - quarterly data: tables and figures

Data sources and availability

The content of this statistical article is based on data collected within the framework of the EU maritime transport statistics Directive 2009/42/EC on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers by sea.

Data are presented at the level of 'statistical ports'. A statistical port consists of one or more ports, normally controlled by a single port authority, able to record ship and cargo movements. All figures are based on a port's total (inward + outward) declarations. The results represent the 'handling' of goods in ports.

Type of cargo: the following thirteen cargo types are used: liquefied gas, crude oil, oil products, other liquid bulk goods, ores, coal, agricultural products, other dry bulk goods, large containers, Ro-Ro mobile units, forestry products, iron/steel products and other general cargo. The first four types constitute 'liquid bulk', the subsequent four types 'dry bulk' and the last three types 'other general cargo not elsewhere specified'.

Abbreviations

:	not available
-	not applicable
Nes	Not elsewhere specified
Ro-Ro	Roll-on/roll-off
TEU	Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit

Quarterly data are in general provisional. Revisions may be made by countries as more complete information becomes available or as a result of quality checks. More specifically, when the complete set of annual data emerges, this usually involves some revision of quarterly data for some countries.

Annual data as presented in this publication are the rolling four quarter totals ending in the latest quarter and the corresponding four quarters for earlier years. As a result, the four quarters included do not necessarily come from the same calendar year. The 'annual' growth rates show the percentage change for the four quarters ending in the third quarter of 2023 compared with the four quarters ending in the third quarter of 2022.

The basic results (in million tonnes) and the derived indicators (growth rates) shown in the figures are rounded. However, they are all based on non-rounded original data, as available in Eurostat's database.

Specific remarks for data up to and including the third quarter of 2023:

Starting from 2022Q1, the ports Antwerpen and Zeebrugge have been merged and the data are reported under the new port name Antwerp-Bruges.

Starting from 2022Q1, the ports Le Havre and Rouen have been merged and the data are reported under the new port name HAROPA.

Until 2023, data for Sweden include inland waterway transport. The share of inland waterway transport is less than 3% of all goods handled in Swedish ports.

Due to revisions of the underlying data, figures in this article may differ from figures currently or previously available on Eurostat's website.

Context

The content of this statistical article is based on data collected within the framework of the EU maritime transport statistics Directive 2009/42/EC of 6 May 2009 on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers by sea, which is a recast of the original Council Directive 95/64/EC of 8 December 1995.

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Notes

↑ Starting from the first quarter of 2022, the ports Antwerpen and Zeebrugge have been merged and the data are reported under the new port name Antwerp-Bruges.
↑ Starting from the first quarter of 2022, Le Havre and Rouen have been merged and the data are reported under the new port name HAROPA.

[1] Starting from the first quarter of 2022, the ports Antwerpen and Zeebrugge have been merged and the data are reported under the new port name Antwerp-Bruges.

[2] Starting from the first quarter of 2022, Le Havre and Rouen have been merged and the data are reported under the new port name HAROPA.

[1]

[2]