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Rotterdam remains Europe’s largest container port
In H1 2024, Rotterdam remained Europe’s largest container port with 2.2% growth, while Antwerp-Bruges stayed second, amid volatile port growth trends.
In the first half of 2024, the Port of Rotterdam retained its position as Europe’s largest container port. Despite modest growth of 2.2%, Rotterdam continues to lead the ranking. The period also saw the Port of Antwerp-Bruges maintaining its position as the second-largest port, with notable growth across several other European ports.
Maritime economist and PortEconomics’ co-director Theo Notteboom highlighted the high volatility in port growth, a trend increasingly common in recent years.
The full top 15 can be found below:
Source: PortEconomics
Red Sea impact
The ongoing Red Sea crisis has severely impacted ports in the eastern Mediterranean, particularly Piraeus, which saw a 12.9% drop in container traffic.
Shipping lines are now bypassing the Suez Canal in favour of routes around the Cape of Good Hope, leading to a surge in activity at western Mediterranean ports like Sines and Barcelona.
West and north
Ports in the western Mediterranean and Atlantic, including Gioia Tauro and Sines, saw significant growth. Antwerp-Bruges led the top three European ports with a 4.1% increase, while Hamburg’s container volume stagnated.
Meanwhile, Bremerhaven recorded a healthy 12.8% increase in traffic, and Haropa rebounded with a 16% rise after a decline in 2023.
Gdansk and Valencia
Gdansk continued its growth, securing its place as the largest container port in the Baltic Sea with a 10% increase.
Notteboom predicted further shifts in Europe’s top 15 ports by year-end, with Valencia expected to overtake Piraeus as the fourth-largest EU port and Haropa likely to climb to 10th place.
Extreme fluctuations
Professor Notteboom anticipates that European container ports will continue to evolve throughout 2024. He believes that if the current trends in container traffic persist, there will be some changes among the top 15 ports by the year’s end.
He expressed concern about the significant volatility in volume growth, noting that during the 1990s and early 2000s, growth was more consistently steady. However, in recent years, various disruptions in the maritime chain have led to much more extreme fluctuations, making it difficult to identify a clear trend.
“Once the Red Sea crisis is resolved, container traffic may shift back to the Eastern Mediterranean, potentially leading to negative growth rates in the Western Mediterranean,” Notteboom concluded.
Read more: EU container port landscape in 2023 shows decrease in TEU