Sector development

In 2021, global container throughput more than recovered from its pandemic-related slump. According to the latest Drewry estimates, however, full-year growth of 6.5 % was not as strong as expected in mid-2021, when global throughput growth of 8.2 % was considered feasible. In addition to new virus variants and rising inflation, experts cite the ongoing disruptions to supply chains and bottlenecks at ports around the world as the main reasons for slower than anticipated growth.

Development of container throughput by region

in %

 

2021

 

2020

World

 

6.5

 

- 0.9

Asia as a whole

 

5.4

 

- 0.3

China

 

5.2

 

0.8

Europe as a whole

 

4.6

 

- 3.2

North-West Europe

 

6.4

 

- 3.9

Scandinavia and the Baltic region

 

2.8

 

- 3.4

Western Mediterranean

 

4.6

 

- 4.1

Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea

 

2.2

 

- 0.8

Source: Drewry Maritime Research; December 2021

The noticeable upturn in throughput activity was observed in all shipping regions, albeit to different extents. The Asia shipping region, which has the highest volume of throughput globally, reported growth of 5.4 %. China’s ports recorded slightly weaker growth of 5.2 % due to delays, congested harbours and new COVID-19 outbreaks.

In Europe, the total volume of containers handled at ports rose by 4.6 %, with growth driven by the container ports of North-West Europe in particular, where throughput was up 6.4 %. As a result of bottlenecks at the leading ports, Wilhelmshaven, Zeebrugge and Dunkirk served as valuable alternatives and benefited from the strong demand for handling capacity.

Container throughput in the leading ports of Northern Europe

in million TEU

 

2021

 

2020

 

Change

Rotterdam

 

15.3

 

14.4

 

6.6 %

Antwerp

 

12.0

 

12.0

 

- 0.1 %

Hamburg

 

8.7

 

8.5

 

2.2 %

Bremen ports

 

5.0

 

4.8

 

5.2 %

Source: Port Authorities

The trend among the major container ports of the North Range, as well as the largest ports of the Baltic Sea, was mixed. In the Port of Hamburg, throughput volume in the reporting period was slightly above the previous year at 8.7 million (previous year: 8.5 million TEU). Europe’s largest container port, Rotterdam, handled 15.3 million TEU in 2021, 6.6 % more containers than in the previous year. In Antwerp, container throughput stagnated at 12 million due to the pandemic.The ports of Bremen, on the other hand, recovered and handled 5.2 % more containers than in 2020.

Traffic in Germany by modes of transport

in %

 

2021

 

2020

Transport volumes

 

2.1

 

- 3.5

Road traffic

 

1.7

 

- 2.7

Railway traffic

 

6.3

 

- 8.2

Multi-modal traffic

 

6.4

 

- 4.5

Traffic performance

 

4.6

 

- 3.7

Road traffic

 

4.5

 

- 2.2

Railway traffic

 

7.1

 

- 7.3

Multi-modal traffic

 

5.8

 

- 4.0

Source: Floating medium-term forecast for freight and passenger transport on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, November 2021

The most recent estimates from November 2021 – when the effects of the fourth coronavirus wave could not yet be fully foreseen – indicate a noticeable catch-up effect in all modes of freight traffic in Germany for 2021 as a result of the macroeconomic upturn. Transport volumes are expected to be up by 2.1 % year-on-year, while traffic performance – transport volume multiplied by the distance travelled – is likely to rise by as much as 4.6 %. The renewed increase is reflected across all modes of transport. Road transport volumes are likely to have been 1.7 % higher than in the previous year. The growth in traffic performance is expected to be even stronger with a year-on-year increase of 4.5 %. Rail transport volumes are likely to achieve robust growth of 6.3 %. Traffic performance will probably rise by an even more significant 7.1 %. Robust growth is also expected for transport. Volumes are forecast to be 6.4 % up and performance 5.8 % up on the previous year.

TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit)

A TEU is a 20-foot standard container, used as a unit for measuring container volumes. A 20-foot standard container is 6.06 metres long, 2.44 metres wide and 2.59 metres high.

TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit)

A TEU is a 20-foot standard container, used as a unit for measuring container volumes. A 20-foot standard container is 6.06 metres long, 2.44 metres wide and 2.59 metres high.

Intermodal/Intermodal systems

Transportation via several modes of transport (water, rail, road) combining the specific advantages of the respective carriers.