CONTAINER throughput at the Port of Gothenburg has bucked the trend with an increase 3 per cent to 677,000 TEU in the first three quarters of the year, reports Greece's Container News.
According to the most recent figures, during the same time, the Swedish market has shrunk by 4.5 per cent. Other important European ports have had even higher declines, with Rotterdam and Antwerp, for example, both suffering a 7 per cent fall in the first three quarters of 2023.
Approximately 60 per cent of the containers transported to and from the major Swedish port from the hinterland go by rail. However, the decreased container imports combined with maintenance work on the country's railway infrastructure have led to a 9 per cent decrease compared to last year's record levels.
"The international container market paints a clear picture of the situation in a slowing economy. The fact that the Port of Gothenburg is growing in this context is almost unique. Like other ports, we are experiencing a reduced import demand, but here we see a continued high demand in the Swedish export industry that continues to deliver worldwide," stated Claes Sundmark, vice president of sales and marketing at the Gothenburg Port Authority.
During the first three quarters of the year, the number of new vehicles handled in the port grew by 15 per cent, with Gothenburg port remaining Sweden's largest vehicle port.
Forest product exports stand out the most. Mr Sundmark said: "One explanation is the transfer to the Port of Gothenburg from other ports, but the Swedish forestry industry has also strengthened its position in the global market with more applications and increased demand, especially since the Russian forest is practically absent from the world market."
It is important to note that during the first nine months of the year, intra-European roro traffic fell by 6 per cent to 401,000 units.
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