So Amsterdamis still on a roll after experiencing 3.7 percent growth in 2005 and 13.4 percent in 2006. Among other contributing factors, the Port has made substantial investments in recent years and is also responding optimally to today's international logistical developments.

After a slow start in 2006, the transshipment of coal jumped by 43.2 percent to 3.9 million ton in the first quarter of 2007. This can be attributed to imports in particular, which rose by 52 percent to 3.4 million tons. The main drivers behind the booming coal business are the Rietlanden coal company (which has been expanding its activities in the Portof Amsterdam) and coal-fired power stations in Germany(which are now requiring much greater quantities).

The throughput ofoil products rose by 15.5 percent to 5.9 million tons. Imports increased by 26 percent, while exports rose by 6.5 percent. The most important reason for this strong growth is the increasing demand in the United States. There gasoline (petrol) supplies have shrunk, and the consumption of gasoline, diesel and other oil products has gone up.

In the first quarter, the transshipment of sand,gravel and minerals increased by 12 percent to 1.7 million tons. Exports rose by 22 percent to 1.6 million tons, while imports grew by 12 percent.

The throughput of containers jumped by a staggering 130 percent to 93,070 TEUs. Measured in millions of metric tons, container throughput grew by 105 percent to 0.9 million tons. In terms of TEUs, exports (+106 percent) and imports (+157 percent) showed excellent and balanced growth. What we are also seeing is the increased use of bigger container ships - particularly 8,000-TEU vessels - and better use of capacity on Amsterdam-bound container ships.

Other sectors that saw increases in the first quarter are cocoa (55 percent), fertilizers (27.3 percent); iron and steel (3 percent); timber (17 percent); as well as paper (18 percent). The amount of scrap metal handled fell by 7 percent. The volume of agribulk handled decreased by 1.7 percent.

In the first quarter of 2007, the number of cargo ships that docked at the Portof Amsterdamwas 1,360 - up 6.4 percent in comparison to the same period last year, when the figure was 1,278. It is noteworthy that not only the number of ships increased, but also the average size of these vessels.

Amsterdam Port Area

For the three other ports in the Amsterdam Port Area, the first quarter was not so good. Beverwijk did achieve a growth of 4 percent, but port business fell by 28.5 percent in Zaanstad and by 34.4 percent in IJmuiden. The Portof IJmuiden- which mainly serves the Corus Steel Plant - was temporarily hit by the steel facility's decision to reduce its iron ore supplies; the expectation is that port business here will pick up in the months to come.

Overall, in the first quarter of 2007, the whole Amsterdam Port Area handled 20,461 million tons of goods - up by 1.5 percent in comparison to the same period last year, when the total figure was 20,154 million tons. The small increase can be attributed to the Portof Amsterdam's strong performance.

Ab van der Neut, Communication Department of the Portof Amsterdam

Tel: +31 (0)20 5234875 or (0)6 51171291