July 21 - A 28.5 percent increase in the throughput of general goods at the port of Rotterdam in the first half of 2014 was attributed to the rise in demand for steel products and an increase in project cargo, particularly for the offshore industry.

Having recorded a small decrease in overall throughput of 0.2 percent in the first quarter of 2014, there was slightly positive growth in the second quarter, causing throughput in the first half of the year to increase by 0.6 percent.

A further recovery of the European economy is expected for the second half of the year, and the port believes it is on track in terms of achieving approximately one percent growth for all of 2014.

www.portofrotterdam.com