Growth in container traffic at the Port of Rotterdam is expected to slowdown in 2008, but its chief executive believes that gains from Asia will largely offset any overall effects of a weaker US economy.
CEO Hans Smits said that while Europe's biggest port had experienced reduced growth in container volumes in the first few months of the year, this was counter balanced by higher volumes from other business areas, including petroleum oil products and minerals, a Reuters report said.
"We were used to double digit growth in containers - I think it will not be double digit growth this year," he said, adding that container throughput grew by around 10 per cent to 105 million tonnes of cargo in 2007.
The port head was cited as saying that the slowdown in the US would have a limited effect on Europe's economy, which could have some impact on the port's overall growth in the second half of the year.
"We grow mainly because of the goods coming in from the Far East, so the impact of the United States slowing down will be small," he said.
Mr Smits predicted that major growth in the transport of coal and iron ore this year, as well as increases in the traffic of mineral oil products will balance out slower container growth.
CEO Hans Smits said that while Europe's biggest port had experienced reduced growth in container volumes in the first few months of the year, this was counter balanced by higher volumes from other business areas, including petroleum oil products and minerals, a Reuters report said.
"We were used to double digit growth in containers - I think it will not be double digit growth this year," he said, adding that container throughput grew by around 10 per cent to 105 million tonnes of cargo in 2007.
The port head was cited as saying that the slowdown in the US would have a limited effect on Europe's economy, which could have some impact on the port's overall growth in the second half of the year.
"We grow mainly because of the goods coming in from the Far East, so the impact of the United States slowing down will be small," he said.
Mr Smits predicted that major growth in the transport of coal and iron ore this year, as well as increases in the traffic of mineral oil products will balance out slower container growth.