The Port of Rotterdam retained its position as Europe\u2019s largest port in Q1 2025, although the combined ports of Antwerp-Bruges handled more containers.<\/p>\n
Rotterdam’s total volumes dropped by 5.8% to 103.7 million tons compared to 110.1 million tons in the same period in 2024 primarily due to reduced activity in tank and dry bulk. Even though container throughput rose 2.2% year-over-year to 3.3 million TEU, container tonnage declined by -1.1%, driven by an – 8% drop in full container exports. Port officials attributed the decline to weak European industrial demand and a reduction in transshipment volumes.<\/p>\n
Antwerp-Bruges, traditionally Europe\u2019s second busiest port, increased its market share in the Hamburg-Le Havre range to 30.5% and climbed one position to 14th in the global ranking of largest ports. Antwerp-Bruges managed 3.4 million containers while Rotterdam handled 3.3 million containers, but their total container volumes only reached 38.4 million tons, significantly lower than Rotterdam’s 103.7 million tons.<\/p>\n
Executives from both Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges are anticipating a tough period in the coming months, citing ongoing global container market disruptions due to recent trade policy developments.<\/p>\n