AMSTERDAM PORTS SEE 5% TONNAGE RISE

AMSTERDAM PORTS SEE 5% TONNAGE RISE    The Amsterdam Port Authority said that total traffic volumes at the local ports of Amsterdam, Zaanstad, Beverwijk and Ijmuiden increased by 5 percent last year, to over 67 million tons.
   Of the 67 million tons, coal represented 18.5 million tons, up by 6 percent in 2001. Oil increased by 15 percent, to 13 million tons. Traffic for derivatives and cattle feed rose by 9 percent, to 8.7 million tons. Steel, however, showed a 5-percent drop, to 8.8 million tons, and general cargo decreased by 3 percent, to 6.6 million tons.
   The Amsterdam Port Authority said that the 5-percent total traffic increase makes Amsterdam ports among the fastest growing ports in western Europe.
   Employment in the Amsterdam port area has continued to increase. The most recent study of the National Port Commission revealed that employment had risen from 37,800 to 38,200 over the period 1999-2000.
   Over the past year the port authority made investments of $68 million in the port, including $40 million in the new Ceres Paragon container terminal. The port authority also recorded operating profits.
   The port authority expects further growth in traffic for oil products, coal and containers.
   The Ceres Paragon terminal will “succeed in spite of the current slowdown in this sector,” the port authority said. “The terminal clearly has potential: it is more efficient due to the possibility of loading and unloading on two sides of the vessel,” it added.
   The port authority said that 10 acres of port area were added to the new Ceres container terminal for the construction of a fully automated access area.