In 2009, the share of container transhipment (1) in the port of Rotterdam rose from 28% to 30%. (2) Because the total throughput declined with 10%, to 9.7 million TEU, transhipment volume dropped 2% to 2.9 million TEU. 

The result corresponds with the expectations based on the stark rise in the number of feeder services in 2009. Especially to and from the Baltic, specialists such as Unifeeder and Team Lines expanded their Rotterdam volumes considerably. There was a southward move away from Hamburg, but on the other hand almost 140,000 TEU moved from Rotterdam to Felixstowe, Zeebrugge and Bremerhaven. The feeder business is and will continue to be fluid.

(1) Exchange of containers between large sea going vessels (up to 15,000 TEU) of the intercontinental routes and smaller sea going vessels (up to 1000 TEU although some shipping lines deploy larger units) on the European routes. In addition to this feedering, a number of services also carry intra-European boxes (‘shortsea’). These are however not included the figures mentioned in this message.

(2) Sea-sea transhipment is calculated as a percentage of total throughput. Then, its volume is deducted from total volume and the result is set on 100% again and used to calculate the modal split of hinterland transport.