Container throughput at Rotterdam port increased 1.6 per cent in the first half of the current calendar year to 6 million TEUs year-on-year, driven by higher volumes on Asian and North American routes.

In the second quarter, volume was up 3.3 per cent at 3.1 million TEUs. Overall traffic increased 0.6 per cent in the first six months to 221.1 million tonnes, the company said in a statement.

It said first half deep-sea container volume increased 3.2 per cent year-on-year because of stronger growth on the Asia-Europe and transatlantic routes and imports from South America.