ELAA records sharp decline in intercontinental container transport by sea to/from Europe in Q1

News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News".

30 May 2009

The European Liner Affairs Association (ELAA) recorded a very sharp decline in intercontinental container transport by sea to/from Europe for the first quarter of 2009. The downward trend appears to be levelling out, however. For instance, the volume from the Far East to Europe fell by 12% in March, as opposed to 32% in February. Maritime transport within Europe, which partly links up with this, shared in the malaise. The consequences for the four largest container ports in Northwest Europe were clear: Bremerhaven 22%, Hamburg 24%, Rotterdam and Antwerp 16% (% TEU volume).
Intercontinental
From the Far East to Europe (Northwest and Mediterranean) the volume was down 20% on the first quarter of 2008, to 2.5 million TEU. In the other direction, the decline was 'limited' to 15% (to 1.1 million TEU). The Transatlantic trade was hit even harder, with  17% westwards and  30% from North America to Europe. In both directions, the volume was around 600,000 TEU. The trades to the Middle/Near East and to Australasia, which are much lower in volume, held up relatively well, with falls varying from a few percent to around 10%.
Within Europe
The shipping line Irish Continental Group (Eucon, Eurofeeder, Feederlink), with a strong position serving the United Kingdom and Ireland, reported a decline of 29%, to 133,000 TEU, for the first quarter.
The Spanish ports on the Atlantic coast were down 26%, to 208,000 TEU, and those in the Canary Islands/Africa 21%, to 342,000 TEU.
Traffic to and from Russia is experiencing a similar downturn: First Container Terminal, the largest in St. Petersburg, slumped by 27%.

Source: Port of Rotterdam