Coronavirus hits Dutch sea ports, coal and metal ore imports down

Rotterdam docks. Photo: VDW via Depositphotos.com
Loading container ships in Rotterdam. Photo: Depositphotos.com

Coronavirus has had a clear impact on the Netherlands’ sea ports, with imports and exports down 8.2% on 2019 last year, national statistics agency CBS said on Monday. That is the biggest drop since the financial crisis year of 2009, the CBS said.

The import of bulk cargo in particular was hard hit, while there was a marginal increase in container throughput.

Coat imports, mainly from the US and Russia, were down nearly 35% and there was a 21% drop in metal ore, due mainly to the downturn in steel production in Germany, the CBS said.

Rotterdam port is one of the biggest in Europe, and the biggest in terms of container shipments.

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