Port of Rotterdam surpasses forecasts

With its good results for 2007, the port of Rotterdam has amply surpassed the forecasts. The most optimistic scenario, with 1995 as reference point, anticipated the handling of 370 million tonnes. Last year, actual figures exceeded this by 10%.
Growth accelerated clearly from 2003 onwards and in 2004 throughput reached the highest predicted level. After that, the gap gradually widened. The main reasons for this are globalisation, continuing economic growth, the increases in scale in shipping and the resulting fall in transport costs.

(Numbers in millions of metric tons)
                   1995  1999  2004  2007
Actual figures  293   304    353   407
High scenario  293   317    349   370
Low scenario   293   305    321   330