In 2022, the handling of seaborne freight in all EU ports witnessed an estimated total gross weight of 3.48 billion tonnes, representing a 0.8% increase compared to the previous year. This positive shift followed a 7.3% decline in 2020 due to pandemic disruptions. Notably, the data indicates partial recovery from 2019, with 2021 showcasing a 3.9% increase.
When comparing the annual change rates, the figures demonstrate a steady growth, with a 2.8% shift in the gross weight of seaborne freight from 2007 to 2022 and a 3.1% change from 2015 to 2022. These statistics, sourced from Eurostat, are outlined in the detailed Statistics Explained article on maritime freight and vessel statistics, using the mar_mg_aa_cwh dataset.
Highlighting the leading maritime freight transport country, the Netherlands stood out in 2022 by handling 565 million tonnes of goods, representing 16% of the total volume of seaborne goods handled within the EU. The noteworthy performance of Dutch ports, such as Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Zeeland, showcases a significant increase in goods handled compared to the previous year.
The report also emphasizes the continued dominance of specific ports, with Rotterdam, Antwerpen-Bruges, and Hamburg maintaining their positions as the top three EU ports in terms of both the gross weight of goods handled and the volume of large containers handled. These three ports accounted for over a fifth (22.5%) of the total maritime freight handled in 2022.
The year-on-year comparisons reveal interesting trends, with significant decreases in tonnage handled in ports like Piraeus, Bremerhaven, and Valencia, while ports such as Gdańsk, Cartagena, and Constanţa reported notable increases. These observations are based on the mar_mg_aa_pwhd dataset.
It is important to note that methodological improvements have led to a break in the time series from 2021 for Dutch data and the merging of Antwerpen and Zeebrugge under the new port name Antwerp-Bruges from 2022 onwards.
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