Europe's ports will see increased volumes next year

Analysts predict more traffic despite austerity measures by EU governments

Volumes through European ports are expected to grow next year, despite the austerity measures being introduced by EU governments.

According to Global Port Tracker: North Europe Trade Outlook, a report produced by analyst Hackett Associates and the Bremen Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL), container volumes at six of Europe’s top ports grew by an average of 12.6%, year on year, in September.

Although volumes are expected to increase again next year, despite government cuts that some have warned would halt consumer spending, the analysts said growth would be weaker than this year.

Hackett said: “Our view is that the growth will continue; perhaps a bit slower than we have seen in 2010, but nevertheless, after the seasonal downturn, we project volumes will increase.”

Transhipment volumes from North European ports to facilities in the Baltic Sea are expected to report strong growth, following on from this year.

Sönke Maatsch, of ISL, said: “The turning point was reached in the second half of 2009, and since then container traffic in the Baltic Sea has almost doubled.

“This trend is confirmed in the October 2010 data from the port of St Petersburg, which shows a 48% increase in teu from the same month of 2009 and 8% more than in October 2008, the previous record.”

The report reveals that imports at the six ports had recovered from their 2009 lows by March 2010, and then settled in a narrow range of monthly flows of 1.2 million teu – the only exception being August, when they reached more than 1.25 million teu.

In September, container volumes remained steady across the six ports tracked by Global Port Tracker.

The 2010 forecast for the six – Hamburg, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Le Havre and Antwerp – is a total of 15.2 million incoming teu (a 12.6% gain on 2009), and 15.8 million outgoing teu (an 11.6% gain).

The short-term incoming forecast projects small decreases until a rebound in March.

European imported deepsea volumes are expected to reach 21 million teu next year, a 13% increase on 2009, while exports are forecast at 15 million teu, up 8% on 2009. (source: IFW)

Back to archive