Busiest ports in the Netherlands and Belgium - statistics & facts
Seafaring has a long history in the Netherlands and Belgium. Long before the creation of the modern-day states of the Netherlands and Belgium in the 19th century, maritime trade has been a vital part of the countries’ economies. In 2021, around 13.9 million TEU and 13.2 TEU worth of containers were processed at the ports in the Netherlands and Belgium, respectively. Only Spain and Germany handled more containers that year. Moreover, most of the goods handled at Dutch and Belgian ports are further transported to other European countries, making these ports important trading hubs for the whole of Europe.
Due to the relatively small size of the Netherlands and Belgium, there are not as many ports as in bigger coastal states of Europe. Most of the freight transport activity is thus concentrated in several main ports, namely the Port of Rotterdam, the Port of Amsterdam, and the Port of Antwerp.
Owing to Amsterdam’s popularity with foreign tourists, its port generally attracts a huge number of cruise ships. In 2019, some 117 cruise ships docked at the Port of Amsterdam. The year 2020, however, saw a dramatic dip in cruise calls at the port. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Port of Amsterdam has banned cruise ships from entering. As a result, no cruise ships docked at the Port of Amsterdam in the whole year of 2020.
Due to the relatively small size of the Netherlands and Belgium, there are not as many ports as in bigger coastal states of Europe. Most of the freight transport activity is thus concentrated in several main ports, namely the Port of Rotterdam, the Port of Amsterdam, and the Port of Antwerp.
The largest Dutch ports are Rotterdam and Amsterdam
The Port of Rotterdam is the biggest port in Europe and the 11th largest port in the world in terms of throughput. It is the main European port of access for goods shipped from East Asia. In 2021 alone, there were around 8.9 million containers handled at the port.Owing to Amsterdam’s popularity with foreign tourists, its port generally attracts a huge number of cruise ships. In 2019, some 117 cruise ships docked at the Port of Amsterdam. The year 2020, however, saw a dramatic dip in cruise calls at the port. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Port of Amsterdam has banned cruise ships from entering. As a result, no cruise ships docked at the Port of Amsterdam in the whole year of 2020.
