In 2024, EU seaports handled an estimated 3.4 billion tons of freight (total gross weight), matching the 2023 volume but remaining below the decade's peak of 3.6 billion tons recorded in 2019.
© Eurostat
Rotterdam in the Netherlands continued to lead as the busiest maritime freight port in the EU, processing 397 million tons in 2024. Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium ranked second with 244 million tons, followed by Hamburg in Germany with 97 million tons.
Among the EU's 10 largest ports, 4 recorded year-on-year increases in freight tonnage. Valencia in Spain saw the highest growth at +3.6 per cent, followed by Algeciras (+2.6 per cent). The ports of Constanţa in Romania (-14.3 per cent) and Gdańsk in Poland (-11.0 per cent) experienced the largest declines in volume.
© Eurostat
In terms of commodity categories, coal and lignite, crude petroleum, and natural gas accounted for the largest share of goods handled in 2024 at 19.0 per cent. Coke and petroleum products made up 16.5 per cent. Metal ores and other mining and quarrying products represented 7.4 per cent, while chemicals, rubber, plastics, and nuclear fuel contributed 7.2 per cent. Agricultural, forestry, and fisheries products accounted for 6.3 per cent, and food, beverages, and tobacco comprised 4.9 per cent of total goods handled by EU ports.
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