The Port of Rotterdam Authority is investigating how the port can become less dependent on Asia and China in particular. Currently 73 per cent of the containers come from this continent. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, however, the supply of goods has dropped sharply.
‘Over the first six months of 2020, we had 104 fewer sailings from Asia to Rotterdam compared to the same period in 2019,’ said CEO Allard Castelein of the Port of Rotterdam Authority when talking about the port’s half-year results. ‘This meant 2.5 million tonnes less cargo.’
For Castelein, it is necessary to investigate how the port can become less dependent on China, as the world’s centre of manufacturing. ‘Now is the right time to explore that. Spreading is always good. We’re looking at Latin America, North America and Africa.’
One small ray of hope is that exports from Rotterdam to Asia grew by 13 per cent. However, Castelein has no idea which products in particular found their way to Asia via the port of Rotterdam. He’s having that figured out now as well.
Source: ANP
