According to Statistics Netherlands nearly a quarter of all goods unloaded in the Port of Rotterdam  originate from China. The number of containers coming from china had increased by 9 percent in 2014. This increase continued early in 2015, despite the Chinese economic downturn.

10 percent increase in containerized goods from China

In 2014 a total of 54 million tonnes of goods were unloaded in the Port of Rotterdam. Nearly a quarter of these goods was shipped from Chinese seaports. In weight this represents an increase of 10 percent on 2013. Singapore and the United States of America are also major suppliers of containerized goods. Together they account for 6 million tonnes of goods.

Over 6 percent more containers

In 2014 nearly four million containers arrived at the quays of Rotterdam with the total amount of containerized goods. This constitutes an increase in the number of containers by more than 6 percent compared to 2013. The number of containers from China increased by 9 percent in 2014 and accounted for a quarter of all containers unloaded in Rotterdam.

In the first quarter of 2015 the downturn of the Chinese economy was not yet visible in the number of containers from China. There was an almost 20 percent increase in the number of Chinese containers compared to the first quarter of 2014, whereas the total number of  containers delivered to Rotterdam increased by 10 percent.

Nearly a quarter of the containers from China contain machinery and equipment. Chemical products and textile are also often shipped in Chinese containers. Foods and beverages account for about 7 percent of all container goods imported, with fish, fruits and vegetables as the most important products in this category.

Fact sheet Port of Rotterdam