Every six months, Notteboom compiles a top 15 ranking based on the throughput figures of container ports in Europe. In his commentary, he explains that the effects of the Red Sea crisis are clearly visible in the statistics. "While 2023 was marked by a sharp to moderate decline in traffic in most ports, the first half of 2024 saw double-digit growth in 7 of the top 15 ports."

The presence of Houthi rebels in the Red Sea has necessitated significant adjustments to the shipping network. Most container shipping companies are avoiding the Suez Canal, instead entering Europe via the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa. This shift is evident in the figures for ports in the western Mediterranean and along the Atlantic coast, where Sines (Portugal), Barcelona, and Valencia (both in Spain) have all recorded "robust growth."

Notteboom: "The growth of Gioia Tauro (Italy) accelerated in H1 2024, while the Spanish transshipment port of Algeciras did not fully benefit from the favorable market conditions."

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Top 15 compiled by Port Economics.
Maritime cul-de-sac

De Griekse haven Piraeus zag de containeroverslag flink teruglopen. Het oostelijke deel van de Middellandse Zee is nu een ‘maritieme cul-de-sac door de dramatische daling van de doorvoer via het Suezkanaal’, schrijft de havenprofessor. Malta Freeport Terminals in Marsaxlokk realiseerde overigens wel een stijging van 6% in het eerste halfjaar.

The ports in the top 3 all recorded modest changes in the first half of 2024. The Port of Antwerp-Bruges performed the best, with a year-on-year growth of 4.1%, roughly double that of Rotterdam. In Hamburg, the figures remained largely unchanged.

Bremerhaven in Duitsland kende een ‘zeer gezonde trafiekontwikkeling’. Haropa, de gezamenlijke Franse havens, deed het ook ‘bijzonder goed in vergelijking met andere havens in de noordelijke range na een teu-dip in 2023.’

The Polish port of Gdansk in the Baltic Sea experienced double-digit growth, with the terminal at the Baltic Hub currently undergoing further expansion.

Predicted shifts

Notteboom predicts that the top 15 will undergo significant changes in the second half of the year. Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges will remain "by far the largest container ports in the EU."

Some shifts: Valencia will overtake Piraeus to become the fourth-largest port in the EU. Algeciras and Bremerhaven could also surpass Piraeus, pushing the Greek port to seventh place, closely followed by Barcelona. Notteboom expects Haropa to rise from 12th to 10th place.

Source: NT