Amsterdam and Rotterdam Strengthen Bond

Port of Amsterdam and Port of Rotterdam, two largest ports in the Netherlands, have renewed their partnership agreement by another five years.

“This partnership enables us to create value for our ports while at the same time improving the international competitive position of the Netherlands,” said Port of Rotterdam CEO Allard Castelein.

As part of the agreement, initially signed in 2010, the partners set out their intention to investigate opportunities for a shared port management system, known as HaMIS. The system was recently launched in Amsterdam.

The system is currently fully operational in both ports and is expected to further align port processes and laws and regulations, including ship waste disposal regulations.

By signing a Letter of Intent, the two ports intend to explore other areas for cooperation which will include port infrastructure, purchasing, information management, and increasing the appeal of railway transport, as well as sustainability and the environment, innovation, human resources and legal affairs, and interest representation.

“Our joint efforts will benefit our customers: by aligning our systems and processes, we can offer them more value for their money,” Port of Amsterdam CEO Dertje Meijer said.

The agreement, signed in 2010, is set to expire this year.