Holland Compared

Largest port
in Europe
Trans-shipment of goods (2013)
9,743
Trans-shipment (in millions of tonnes)
Containers (in millions of TEU)
Netherlands
Rotterdam
440.5
11.6
Belgium
Antwerp
183.8
8.6
Germany
Hamburg
132.2
Source: Port of Rotterdam, 2014.
9.3
The port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe. The trans-shipment
in Rotterdam added up to 440.5 million tons in 2013. The number of
containers handled remained at 11.6 million TEUs in 2013.
Business often choose to locate in and around the Port of Rotterdam
because of its strategic location in north-west Europe, its depth, the
many port facilities, and its excellent links with the hinterland. Many
companies from America and Asia use Rotterdam as their base for the
distribution of goods throughout Europe. Work on the ‘Maasvlakte 2’
project is currently on-going. This historic land reclamation project will
expand the area of the Port of Rotterdam. The first phase will be
completed in 2014, which is when the first containers will cross the quay.
The combined activities of the port account for about 5% of GDP. More
than 90,000 people work directly for the port of Rotterdam.
Infrastructure 85