European container ports saw a rebound in the first half of 2024, with Rotterdam remaining the continents’ biggest maritime entry point.

Supply Chain 247 reported that according to PortEconomics, seven of the top fifteen ports saw double digit growth in the first six months of the year. Portugal’s Port of Sines, Valencia and Barcelona in Spain, the merged HAROPA complex in France, and Bremerhaven, all saw strong volume increases.

Rotterdam remained in first place with a small 2.2% increase in traffic, with Antwerp-Bruges following close behind with a 4.1% increase as it closed the gap between the two ports. In third place, Hamburg remained relatively flat. Volume at the Port of Piraeus in Greece fell 12.9% as the impact of the Red Sea crisis took its toll on traffic passing through the Suez Canal.