Ports in the Dutch Amsterdam-North-Sea-Canal Area increased bulk cargo handling volumes in first half of 2011 by 4% year-on-year to 42.62 million mt, with a steep rise in liquid cargoes stemming weaker dry bulk throughputs, initial data obtained from the Amsterdam port authority showed Tuesday.
Liquid bulk passing through the ports of Amsterdam, Beverwijk, IJmuiden and Zaanstad rose 15.6% on-year to 20.97 million mt, driven by a 20% rise in refined products volumes to 19.81 million mt. Crude oil throughputs, however, dropped 76.2% from a low prior-base to 34,694 mt.
Dry bulk volumes handled in the Amsterdam area eased 5.3% to 21.65 million mt, with a 5.4% decline in ores to 4.58 million mt and a 1.9% fall in coal throughputs to 9.2 million mt adding to downward pressures.
New half-year data from Amsterdam's smaller rival at Hamburg in north Germany, which posted a 1.8% decline in bulk cargo volumes to 19.4 million mt, indicate a slightly different trend for bulk commodities. Iron ore volumes passing through the country's largest seaport dropped 6.3% on-year to 4.5 million mt and petroleum product volumes firmed 4.5% to 2.1 million mt, spokesman Bengt van Beuningen at the ports marketing affiliate HHM said Tuesday, mirroring trend directions seen at Amsterdam. However, coal throughputs hiked 12.7% to 2.8 million mt and crude handling volumes were up 3.3% at 2.1 million mt.
Liquid bulk passing through the ports of Amsterdam, Beverwijk, IJmuiden and Zaanstad rose 15.6% on-year to 20.97 million mt, driven by a 20% rise in refined products volumes to 19.81 million mt. Crude oil throughputs, however, dropped 76.2% from a low prior-base to 34,694 mt.
Dry bulk volumes handled in the Amsterdam area eased 5.3% to 21.65 million mt, with a 5.4% decline in ores to 4.58 million mt and a 1.9% fall in coal throughputs to 9.2 million mt adding to downward pressures.
New half-year data from Amsterdam's smaller rival at Hamburg in north Germany, which posted a 1.8% decline in bulk cargo volumes to 19.4 million mt, indicate a slightly different trend for bulk commodities. Iron ore volumes passing through the country's largest seaport dropped 6.3% on-year to 4.5 million mt and petroleum product volumes firmed 4.5% to 2.1 million mt, spokesman Bengt van Beuningen at the ports marketing affiliate HHM said Tuesday, mirroring trend directions seen at Amsterdam. However, coal throughputs hiked 12.7% to 2.8 million mt and crude handling volumes were up 3.3% at 2.1 million mt.