Gothenburg Only Major European Port to See Rise in Container Traffic

In contrast to other European ports, the Port of Gothenburg has increased its container volumes, there have been no cancelled direct calls, and none are planned.

Figures published by various port authorities reveal that container volumes at the 10 largest ports in Europe fell by an average of 5% during the first quarter compared with last year. Container volumes at the Port of Gothenburg have, in fact, increased by 8% during the same period.

Dennis Olesen, chief executive of the container terminal operator APM Terminals Gothenburg said: “The European trend is striking although at the same time we are particularly proud that thanks to our consistently high level of customer service and a flexible and developed product offering we have emerged unscathed.”

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According to Elvir Dzanic, Port of Gothenburg chief executive, the open approach adopted by Sweden to the world, and the fact that Swedish industry has continued to export during the Covid-19 pandemic, are further factors that make the Port of Gothenburg the exception in the European port statistics table.

Large numbers of calls by ocean-going vessels have been cancelled at European ports during the first quarter, disrupting freight flows. In Gothenburg, no direct calls have been cancelled – services to and from Asia using the world’s largest vessels have continued, week in, week out.

Dennis Olesen adds: “Weekly services between Gothenburg and Asia have proved to be the most important lifeline for Swedish imports and exports. Ensuring traffic continues without disruption is vital.

"And we also see more goods able to become rail born and move through Gothenburg, which is reassuring as it brings continuity to Swedish trade with the world.”

Despite the difficulty of predicting when the Covid-19 pandemic might end, Elvir Dzanic is upbeat about the future, both for the port in general and for container traffic in particular.

Read More: APM Terminals Increases Rail Connectivity