Rotterdam to Reap Fruit from 2M’s Schedule Changes

The port of Rotterdam is set to benefit considerably from the new shipping scheduled recently released by the container shipping alliance 2M – formed by Maersk Line and MSC –  for its Europe-Asia route.

As explained by the port authority, the changes have proven very much to Rotterdam’s advantage, with an extra first port of call position and an extra last port of call position in the itineraries of the largest vessels.

“The Port of Rotterdam Authority consequently expects a substantial increase in 2M container volumes in the period ahead,” the authority said.

The existing shipping schedule already included Rotterdam as last port of call: the prime position, commercially speaking. In the new schedule, this status of ‘favourite’ will be doubled, since Rotterdam has been selected as first port of call on the AE10 service, linking the Far East and the North West Continent by 18,000 TEU boxship giants.

In the five revised 2M schedules, one service, maintained by 13,000 TEU ships no longer includes Rotterdam as a port of call.

However, according to the port, this loss is “amply compensated” for by Rotterdam’s improved position in the four other east-west services maintained by the larger ships.

“In its forecasts, the Port of Rotterdam Authority will therefore be taking account of a substantial increase in the number of containers that need to be handled on behalf of 2M,” the port authority said.