Why Rotterdam Is the Biggest Port In Europe

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[@vincentlugthart4618]

Rotterdam’s other massive advantage is the very small tidal range, ie the difference in water level between high and low tides, generally no more than 1.5m. That makes every part of the port accessible 24 hours per day, requires no locks and allows simpler quayside infrastructure. This tidal range is much less than Antwerp (up to 5m) meaning many ships there need to lock in and out - which takes time.

[@markhondelink6063]

And the depth off the port of Rotterdam

[@thesaw9988]

Connectivity by road, rail or waterways also helps. Also politics and local taxation will. So a favorable position does not necessary mean a thing. I still wonder why Antwerp is still doing so great.... My brother in law lives in West Flanders. I litterarly mean the countryside. We go there once in a while and avoid the ring antwerp. Due to construction works, the trucks ride day and night in front of his house. Flamish road construction is not known for it's reliance. And it is under construction...

[@xHDdjuTrAXx--XIIX-]

Who told you that? I visit Rotterdam every week with my ship, and the tide is definitely not 1,5 meters, more like 4-5 meters

[@vincentlugthart4618]

@@xHDdjuTrAXx--XIIX- low water Hoek van Holland today (8 May) 0.06m; high water 2.23m, so tidal range 2.17m but we are right at the top of a spring tide so the range is usually a bit less than that. Figures from the Port of Rotterdam website, and they should know

[@vonlobach]

The average depth in the port of Rotterdam is more than -20 meters. The Eurogeul Approach Area is divided into a western part (Approach Area West 1) with a nautically guaranteed depth of LAT -26.80 m, a middle part with a nautically guaranteed depth of LAT -25.10 m and an eastern part with a nautically guaranteed depth from LAT -24.70 m. The port of Rotterdam is one of the few ports that can accommodate the largest dry bulk ship in the world with a loading capacity of 400,000 tons and a maximum draft of 23 meters.

[@mixkula]

to improve your videos, add some maps for illustration

[@chairy73]

Most people know where Rotterdam is, so no need for maps.

[@Msambweni]

@@chairy73who is "most" people?

[@victimoffame2389]

@@Msambweni People of Rotterdam

[@dcay5652]

did you watch the video? he literally shows the location multiple times on a map. Just because your brain can't retain information for longer then 10 seconds does not mean he has to keep showing the same stuff.

[@hengruihu7038]

Exactly what I want to say

[@danieltabrizian]

I want to add, throughout these years i have noticed something about the Netherlands. Its always the infrastructure provider to stuff built upon it. It might not seem at first, but everything europe if you look deep enough somehow depends on them. Schiphol airport being one of the biggest in europe Rotterdam being the biggest port The infra throughout the country is a posterchild example Most servers for europe are located here Asml provides the infra for chip production The list goes on and on

[@thesaw9988]

meh. the big lie. Listen. We Dutch depend on the larger economies (GE, UK and FR, in that order) Those 3 could switch anytime to a local favorite. Yes, infrastructure does help. Politics play a large part too. And that includes domestic politics.

[@JasperKlijndijk]

The Netherlands is right in the Center one of the most busy places on earth draw a circle of 500 km with Maastricht in the center: ruhr valley Hamburg, bremen, Belgium, lille, London easely 5 trillion gdp nearby

[@leonvanpetegem1663]

Yea but we don’t want Schiphol to be this big it’s a lot of air and noice pollution

[@jasonhaven7170]

@@thesaw9988 Yet you voted Wilders

[@jameskamotho7513]

​@@thesaw9988Exactly. At least you are honest about it. You are like the infrastructure version of the Caymans and other tax havens...😅😊

[@adriandunne4382]

There is a ship canal between Rhine, the Main and the Danube which enables small river ships to go as far as the Black Sea. Many very large cargo ships cannot enter some ports because of their size and the largest cannot go through the Suez Canal or even the new Panama Canal but must go via South Africa.

[@thesaw9988]

eh... built better ships. Seriously. Large ports like Rotterdam handle large container freigthers. They can go trhough the Suez canal. They might travel via SA because of Houthi rebels. The new panama canal is not even built yet. You are some russian troll?

[@jfz4759]

You're right, but the whole Rhine Main Danube connection was actually never finished. The canal was finished in 1992, but there is still a 70km almost unnavigable stretch of the Danube that makes the canal not meet its expectations. There were plans to also canalize this stretch such that it meets the same draft standards as the Middle Rhine, Main and lower Danube (that is fed more with glacier water just like the Rhine, so there is less drought in summer) but this has been a controversial point for the last 30 years and nothing has changed so far, or will significantly change. Yes, they are working on an average increase of channel depth by 20 cm, but compared to the lower Danube and Rhine it lacks about 100cm, so it won't help much. Greetings from an inland captain who often travels between Rotterdam and Hungary over this stretch.

[@johanjansen6417]

Nice video! To add, its also part of the history. The Netherlands is already trading for centuries.

[@Broadvay]

Very true!

[@NickIggler1969]

@@Broadvayyummy

[@Squizie3]

The port of Antwerp lies much more inland than Rotterdam, but that's not a weakness as stated, but a strength in a whole lot of domains, especially transshipment. You cut 2x100 km of driving time for the loads of containers, and replace it by a single ship sailing more inland. Thats why in terms of container traffic, the Port of Antwerp handles quite similar volumes as Rotterdam. Rotterdam excels on other things, where they have better inland connectivity: bulk goods that are shipped on inland waterways, and oil that can just be piped anywhere cheaply. Both fill their own roles given their respective connectivity strengths and weaknesses

[@janvisser4132]

The sea connection to Antwerp is not that great. It is a long, time-consuming trip and close to the port it is very tight. A small steering mistake and you get stuck, which does happen from time to time. It's easy for traffic jams to develop too. I was never a fan of a journey to Antwerp.

[@Squizie3]

@@janvisser4132 Yet that time consuming 'difficult' trip is taken by dozens of ocean ships every day. This clearly shows the economies work out, and those really don't care you not liking that trip. There are experienced pilots just for that. The location and connectivity of the port make up for the extra sailing time and the need for pilots to navigate the estuary, otherwise this wouldn't be the second biggest port in Europe.

[@janvisser4132]

@@Squizie3 I don't think you understand much of economics. The relatively long trip through a small waterway does hinder the expansion possibility for Antwerp. There is just a high chance for bottlenecks to develop. The river can (and does) silt up, Rotterdam just has an advantage in that regard.

[@Squizie3]

@@janvisser4132 I think that the simple existence of the second biggest port in Europe at that location is proof enough that the economies do work out. There may be challenges, but they can and are overcome, otherwise the port wouldn't exist in it's current form. And here I'll stop the discussion, good luck in believing the opposite despite the evidence.

[@janvisser4132]

@@Squizie3 After my maritime officer study I studied business and economics with a focus in strategy economics and port economics at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. I actually did an expansion study for both Rotterdam and Antwerp. I am sure I have seen more evidence than you.

[@oldtabrough1026]

It would be nice if u can use maps and animation to explain certain points in your video, esp international viewer like me from Asia, who can't really visualize why Rotherham is so important

[@briangman3]

The Dutch are smart! They worked for centuries to be a hub of ocean trade!

[@Maarten-y8h]

The images from minute 1:20 to 1:30 are from ANTWERP's Noordzee Terminal, not Rotterdam. LOL😅

[@Profixt]

half the video is "asking the question" and the other half is... also repetetive.

[@hmmm9658]

this feels so ai generated

[@sebastianulmer2375]

100%, sometimes I create a text with ChatGPT and then import it into AI voice converter to study for my exams, to listen is like a audiobook. It sounds exactly the same. Interesting that this has still so many views…

[@ariantaheri4638]

100%

[@Hession0Drasha]

Mainly because it's near the mouth of the rhine/danube corridor. There are also canal connections to the seinne and the rhone, in france. Paris, lyon and marseille. The three largest french cities are on this network.

[@danieloehler2494]

Talking about the Rhine and Germany: The biggest inland port in Germany is Duisburg, the second one is Karlsruhe (thanks to oil shipments). The Rhine is the only access by ship from Switzerland to a sea port. The connection to Austria is rather bad. The canal between Rhine and Danube has many locks. And the Danube is not alway deep enough. The freight line for trains is called Betuwe Line. The connecting project in Germany, a third track between the Betuwe line and the Rhine-Ruhr zone is delayed and will be completed maybe somewhere after 2030.

[@daanwolters3751]

true, but the betuwe line still can handle about 100 trains a day in each direction already (without the third track), and most importantly it allows trains to go from rotterdam to germany without needing the dutch train control system (in kijfhoek they installed ects as well as atb), only etcs, which makes freight trains cheaper and better to organize.

[@wuciwucci4374]

Great and informative video. Thank you. When countries cooperate with mutual trust, they can trade smoothly and trade can make everyone better off. Just a little suggestion with regards to the video, if I may, that it would be appreciated to use the metric unit only whenever distance/measurement is involved, as (1) most UN-registered countries (>98%) used it officially, hence it is what nearly all of people in the world are familiar with, (2) KZbin audiences are worldwide. It would be nice to follow English-spoken videos that are addressed for international audiences as English is still the de facto worldwide's language today, (3) having worldwide standard units allow consistency & ease of understanding, just like most people in the world use 'hour', 'minutes', and 'seconds' for time measurement. Best regards,

[@wow1983]

Is the voice AI? Just out of curiosity

[@NickDavidGaming]

Definitely

[@Rick-C-117]

It’s also famous for a genre of electronic music.

[@DT-wp4hk]

And hooligans😂

[@gijskramer1702]

​@@DT-wp4hk nah thats the brits

[@DT-wp4hk]

@@gijskramer1702 they did introduce it. 🤣

[@Ese_osa]

Good content… man spent the first few minute making me know why I need to listen to this content

[@completeamsterdam]

The port and architecture is sure impressive!

[@dominiquejeangille9254]

On the Rhine Bonn is insignificant for Cargo... Ludwigshafen home of BASF the biggest chemical pant in the world, or Frankfurt (via a tributary) are much more relevant to the traffic on the Rhine.

[@jpwillm5252]

Very good explanations. THANKS !

[@JasperKlijndijk]

Heavy big ships need Rotterdam first to unload heavy load before they are able to enter shallow Harbours.

[@Kenjardo]

I’ve always taken an interest in Rotterdam’s prowess as a port since watching a documentary in the year 2000 and one of the most fascinating things mentioned was that the port was fully automated. This is the best presentation since then. Thought J would have seen more gantry cranes though. Nevertheless thanks for the info.

[@cordes6900]

For a large part it is because Holland after WW1 did not have to sign international law about chemical warfare. We are still allowed to drop far more toxic chemicals in oil that will be burned as fuel by ships and that will be dumped by ships in the ocean.

[@berberbro]

Also, the Port of Rotterdam is a global hub for criminal activity (like so many ports are). Maybe this will make a nice darker version of this video :)

[@Sizerius]

In the recent Netherlands Elections Geert Wilder's PVV party won, Geert Wilders wants the Netherlands to leave the EU, Nexit he calls it (stupid name imo). If Wilders ever gets his way, and the Netherlands leaves the EU, it will be the end for Rotterdam.

[@gandiashop9391]

Valt wel mee

[@janvisser4132]

which is why that won't happen.

[@antoniescargo1529]

Geert Wilders is a foreign agent.

[@matof1428]

You forgot to mention the Rhine-Main-Danube connection, which basically connects the Port of Rotterdam and the North Sea with the Black Sea.

[@Shipspotting_Vietnam]

Great video!!!!

[@Broadvay]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@AntalBencze-x2w]

During my time in the German merchant marine (Hamburg America line) we often visited Rotterdam The port was a 24 hour port. They worked fast. One of the biggest advantage Rotterdam has that the closeness to the German industrial center the Ruhr.The Dutch are hard working people without false illusion how to get rich.

[@hansslob6749]

Let’s not forget to mention that Rotterdam is home to a number of very big refineries and tank storages which also connect by barge and pipelines to Belgium and Germany. Completely missed in this video

[@thesaw9988]

Ja, gewelidig. Daar kan vrij snel een eind aan komen. Daarnaast lijkt het de inflatie niet veel te kelderen. Mijn salaris wel. Zeg, of het nu uit groningen komt of LNG uit de de EAU of de US. Maakt mij niet uit.

[@m.moolhuysen5456]

How nice, the areal shot at 4:00 is in Amsterdam

[@beyondrotterdam8753]

Nice video

[@Broadvay]

Thanks

[@taal1979]

The Germans jokingly said that the port of Rotterdam is the largest German post since a lot of stuff is going to Germany via Rotterdam.

[@mecx7322]

It is the biggest in the world ( however Shanghai or Singapore handle much more containers ). No. 2 in Europe is Antwerp and Hamburg is no.3.

[@Palau-government]

This is why i'm proud to be from Rotterdam!

[@thesaw9988]

Why? Because it has a natural harbor? Or the fact that we can use local, national and international poltics and local taxes to our benefit?

[@Desperado070]

*You got a big mess up, we the second biggest exporter.* *But you used "Value of Exports" instead*

[@daniel06498]

That train track in the video is like 200 meters away from my house😂

[@quadnumber]

is this script ai? pretty basic grammar errors throughout

[@Desperado070]

You also should not forgot while germany only sells gass and oil from russia to the rest of europe. While french is still baking bread, we dutchies know how to trade. When exports from other country enters our land it is import, when the import leaves our country it is export. That is why the netherlands is the *second biggest exporter of entire europe.*

[@m3lvin449]

Germany is by far the biggest exporter in the eu and it’s definitely not because of the trade with Russian gas and oil

[@vincentvanhuijstee9764]

It is transition you talk about I think, not export. German cars for example are exported through Rotterdam by ship. These are included in the dutch exporting data.

[@Desperado070]

@@m3lvin449 you should go back to school and learn something this time around

[@Desperado070]

@@vincentvanhuijstee9764 ye he is.

[@BobY-vl2oj]

@@m3lvin449 LOL clown

[@marcovaneersel4532]

Rotterdam was already successful for free trade in the EU.

[@jaredholeman925]

I think you meant "theortically" not "technically"

[@rncmv]

"Rhine goes into Germany?" major Geography fail.. It comes FROM Germany

[@markdebruyn1212]

Technically it starts in Zwitserland

[@ssj3gohan456]

This is a pretty terrible video. If I click on a video like this, I expect the most relevant facts of the matter to be presented, and to be presented in a succinct and comprehensible way. Your script is full of weird sentences ('put into simple words' what?!) and completely forgets to mention centuries of trading relationships, decades of investment into transport links into the EU's largest industrial centers by volume and naturally safe location deep into a shallow, narrow-access sea channel. It's not even that you asked ChatGPT for a script, because if I try that it at least includes some of those factors.

[@Matti_us_Alpe]

It is an AI video.

[@ChrisWatermelone]

just imagine how much of no-no colombian flour is smuggled through there every year

[@pranamks5104]

It built big that's why it's big

[@blazejdrazkowski1608]

Z ekonomicznego punktu widzenia wielkosc nie zawsze ma sesns , stad lepiej podzielic na kilka mniejszych

[@huubdams9786]

You forget to mention that Rotterdam was the worlds biggest port for 40 years

[@supernaturel-l7u]

When amateurs give there opinion .... the reason was other thing in history. (short story)they dig out for long time the river. that's why the harbor grow and the rest they make after it (transport) . But hey when amateurs tell thinks, it's true.....

[@jeroen2535]

5:18 transport by ship is too damn cheap. It should be 80% by trains.

[@thesaw9988]

Is it? Now cargo trains sure have an advantage. But in Holland, it comes at the expense of local people. In some countries, freight trains ave priority over passenger trains. Not in commutal Netherlands.

[@christospantelides3195]

Pireus In Greece?

[@DT-wp4hk]

Owned by China

[@janvisser4132]

Rotterdam gets at least 3 times as much containers, and more than 10 times as much tonnage

[@philtarpehdixon7441]

More could have been written.

[@Am-pk3zh]

Its dubai in the middle east & africa

[@STEM671]

Colonge University und Humble Strutgart

[@Falktho]

Hello Dutchies, we want our 70 Bn EUR back xoxo Germans

[@Daniel-xh2xf]

Give us our bikes back

Moccro mafia’s home

[@oneiropagides342]

Europe has one gigantic problem and everything is directly or indirectly related to it: EXTREME FRAGMENTATION of everything. The funny thing is that nationalism prevents people from even realizing this simple fact. The EU is just a virtual paper project with no real power. In practice, Europe today remains 27 completely separate countries (even that number is variable), with different laws, languages, bureaucracies, taxation, justice, immigration & foreign policy, and education systems. Everything is separated and completely disconnected. Despite all EU efforts since its inception, freedom of movement is hindered by factors such as language and national bureaucracy. In theory, people can (and often do) move around, but it’s still extremely difficult. You need to spend years to learn the local language, your credit history is not recognized, you cannot get a loan, credit card, leasing contract, etc., and your pension contributions are not transferred. And these are only a few basic things. There are also more problems for special cases. For example, if you have any invalidity, it is not recognized in another EU state. When it comes to scientists, it’s just like any other professional group: whether you are a nuclear physicist or a plumber, you are trapped in the mini market of the state whose language you can speak. In America, on the other hand, you have access to an enormous market of potential employers and you only need to speak English. You can work in New York today and in LA next week. The situation is even worse for companies: the EU ‘single’ market is single only in name. Sure, theoretically, as an EU company you can do business anywhere in the EU. But in reality, if you don’t have a subsidiary in every single EU country, you cannot really operate. Meanwhile, in America, you open a single company and you cover the whole US market. Do the math when it comes to the difference in costs when you operate a single company vs. duplicating your structure 27 times! 🤯 Then, there is another important thing nobody likes to talk about, the mammoth 🦣 in the room: the US military. The military funds and subsidizes universities and business across the US. It is also the biggest employer (directly or indirectly) in the country. How can Europe’s miniature armies possibly compete? In conclusion, as long as the EU is not an actual country with a genuine single market (which it will never be), it will always lose both companies and professionals (including scientists) to the US.

[@thuewhrens7631]

Who asked? lol

[@dbeerewout]

@@thuewhrens7631 Just pure anti-EU Propaganda, them Anti EU haters and Russian bots are filling up every damn video about Europe, its so sad

[@JasperKlijndijk]

20 jack of all trades together are way less productive as a team of 20 specialized roles with the same goal Being self sufficiant is important when in war or apocalypse. During normal times you better specialize or fall behind

[@dbeerewout]

Why was my comment deleted?

[@DenUitvreter]

Rotterdam grew big in international trade well before any EU or even EEC or ECSC. Nothing wrong with international trade and we don't need any more unelected micromanaging our country to keep trading.

[@LMB222]

More boringly told than most school material.

[@sebastianulmer2375]

Is this a AI voice? 😂

[@vincentcollins1017]

i mean it the the gate way for drugs in Europe

[@martinc.720]

Because others aren't.

[@LadoAire]

Cringe

[@raphael5165]

*China, China, China !*

[@Ounk_cannabisteams]

Greenland it ice agg

[@ondrejpalata8979]

I thought it's because of cocaine 😆

[@antoniescargo1529]

Blaue Banane.

[@nicolasblume1046]

5:10 this is incorrect. The Betuweroute (which is an exklusive freight route) is only in the Netherlands. Most of the route south of the Dutch-German Border is a mixed route (freight trains, local trains, Intercity trains etc all sharing the same tracks). There is another section between Duisburg and Troisdorf which has dedicated freight tracks, but that's it

[@elmerdelgado5835]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@vadergrd]

well also politics , denying Romanias and Bulgarias entrance in Schengen so that their ports would not be a competition for Rotterdam

[@MatthijsGall]

Nonsense. Rotterdam was the biggest port in the world before Schengen even existed. This has nothing to do with it.

[@reidr7288]

Is this channel AI written? Seems like AI garbage

[@kylermmmm]

U😅

[@fraukepietsch716]

Stop this AI shit

[@raxit1337]

I hate this AI voiceover.

[@mwarnas]

This script is sooooooo bad, every other sentence is crooked. Edit: it gets better around 3 minutes in

[@Keikdv]

04:26 containerport Utrecht, part of Amsterdam Port and with no connection to Rotterdam... 04:48 Noordzee kanaal to... Amsterdam! 08:00 Rotterdam is 30 km INLAND! Only the port is next to the sea. The tittle of this video is therefore wrong!

[@vincentvanhuijstee9764]

What is wrong about the title Rotterdam being the biggest port of Europe? Amsterdam is not even close to the size of Rotterdam

[@ikipemiko]

very bad and non-informative video

[@thesaw9988]

Is it? I thought is was taken over by Antwerp years ago. At least on drugs it is. Now, don't get me wrong. Rotterdam is still a great player. It used to be the seccond port in the world at some point. Heck, even Hamburg is a contender. I guess it all has to do with world trade. Singapore was the largest untill overtaken by Shanghai. Connectivity, politics and local taxes also play a role.

[@charlyvanbuuren2947]

Rotterdam is more than twice the size of Antwerp. Just look it up...