Market Trends of Europe Full Container Load (FCL) Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the Europe Full Container Load (FCL) Market according to our research experts:
Growing demand for FCL transport by Railways in Europe
Rail transport plays a strategic role as a land bridge between Europe and Asia, offering regular shipments, minimal transit times and stable prices. Another area of focus in 2021 was the diversification of freight delivery routes, with improvements to railway logistics through the ports and terminals of the Kaliningrad Region in the centre of attention. The rapid growth of the consumer electronics industry and the deployment of software solutions are expected to boost the rail cargo market growth in the forecast period.
Manufacturers and distributors of consumer electronics are utilising rail freight services to ensure timely deliveries of their goods to customers. Thus, it is projected that the market for rail freight will benefit significantly from the rising demand for consumer electronics in the forecast period. The majority of the transported commodities' freight base was comprised of clothes, plastics, and ferrous metal products, as well as mechanical, electrical, and communications equipment, vehicles and repair parts, various medical and surgical instruments, furniture, and lighting equipment.
In addition to this, various initiatives are undertaken by governmental bodies to accelerate the rail freight FCL market further. For instance, with the increase in industrialization and growth in customer demand, rail freight services are significantly gaining momentum.
Largest container ports in the Europe in 2021, based on throughput(in million TEUs)
In 2021, the EU imported goods worth roughly 1.1 trillion euros and exported cargo worth about 956 billion euros by sea. The Port of Rotterdam was the largest container port in the European Union in 2021, handling roughly 15.3 million TEUs worth of containers. The demand for Rotterdam port is due to the the nation's extensive rail system also efficiently connects the Port of Rotterdam to its hinterland, with services frequently running up to warehouse doors. Port of Rotterdam uses autonomous cranes and container trucks to transport cargo within the terminal and also employs AI for their digital smart port operations.
The Port of Antwerp, ranking second, processed about 12 million TEUs of containers. In 2021, global container throughput reached approximately 849 million TEUs.
After experiencing a decrease of 3.2 percent in 2020 due to COVID-19 Rotterdam rebounded strongly in 2021 to maintain its status as the leading European container port.In the port of Antwerp due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, container throughput decreased to 2.73 million twenty foot equivalent unit (TEUs).
