- Rail Transport and Forest Product Exports on the Rise at Port of Gothenburg.
- Economic Downturn Affects RoRo and Car Volumes at Gothenburg.
- Energy Product and Bulk Handling Surge at Port of Gothenburg in 2023.
In 2023, the container port of Gothenburg had its best year in handling containers to date. The first three quarters processed 685,000 TEU – an increase by 8,000 from the same period last year. While minor decline in container volume were reported during the third quarter, the port is on its way to a record year in overall container handling with a 1% growth compared to last year, reports Port of Gothenburg.
Empty Container Repositioning (ECR)
The port’s volume of laden containers increased by 5% for the first nine months, but the amount of empty containers decreased markedly, dampening the overall value. The ECR for the recent quarter declined from previous marks, which means that the import and export balance at the port is improving. For a port facing a mismatch of exports over imports, or vice versa, ship lines typically reposition empty containers to a port in a deficit situation. This disparity was created by a decline in imports of nearly 20% in 2023 while exports continued to surge ahead. The recent trends reflect that imports started to grow at a rate faster than exports, making the flow of containers relatively more balanced.
“The ECR reduction at the Port of Gothenburg is a result of the improved balance between imports and exports. We are now on track to return to the near 50-50 ratio that is typical here in Gothenburg, but is quite unique compared to other ports both in Sweden and internationally,” says Claes Sundmark, Vice President of Sales at the Port of Gothenburg.
Growth in Rail Transport
The port enjoyed a 7% growth in containers moved by rail. Again, it’s a demand-driven growth from hinterland destinations, which are more import-oriented like Falköping and Nässjö, and supported by new rail shuttles connecting the port to northern Sweden. Export forest products have grown well at the Port of Gothenburg during the period.
Declines in RoRo
The European economic slowdown is affecting volumes at all ports, while specifically, the total volume handled by Gothenburg from RoRoduring the first nine months this year is down by 4% to 389,000 units. However, while RoRo traffic within Europe is down, non-European volumes show a slight increase. It also saw 188,000 cars pass through the port, an amount that was down 2%, and this was mainly because exports, which had been rising, were offset by a decrease in new car imports. This can be attributed to a weak Swedish car market where new car registrations continue dropping.
Increase in Energy Product Handling
Energy products handling rose 17% during the same period last year. This comes after a period of planned maintenance and capacity expansion in biofuel production, which resulted in a volume reduction last year.
Decline in Cruise Ship Calls
In the January through September period, 53 cruise ships arrived at the port. That is 20 ships less than at the same time last year. Forecast and for now, it reduced due to scheduled work at one of the cruise terminals.
Growth in Dry Bulk Handling
Dry bulk handling experienced 16% growth with 378,000 tons being processed in the period, with increased pulp, granules, and gravel-related handling cited as the real growth factors.
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Source: Port of Gothenburg
