The three-year arrangement on port tariff increases that exists between the Port of Rotterdam Authority and the relevant market parties, represented by Deltalinqs and VRC, is to be extended by one year. As has been the case from 2018 to 2020, port tariffs will be increased by 1% in 2021. This applies to both sea-going shipping and inland shipping. In these extraordinary times, the parties are committed to continuing the same moderate rate of increase in tariffs. The Port Authority also upholds specific measures, such as transhipment discounts for containers, which were included in the existing three-year agreement.

Next year, the parties will enter negotiations to fix the rate of increase in tariffs again for the years following 2021. This will provide the market with clarity.

Market consultation

The Port Authority, Deltalinqs and VRC have fixed rules on how the port dues rate is set each year. Thanks to structured market consultation, the sector is meeting the government’s desire for self-regulation of the tariffs. Among other things, this consultation takes inflation, market conditions and economic development into account. The tariffs apply to the seaports of Rotterdam, Schiedam, Vlaardingen, Maassluis, Dordrecht, Papendrecht, Zwijndrecht and Moerdijk.

Port dues

Port dues are one of the Port of Rotterdam Authority’s two primary sources of income. In 2019, the Port Authority received €290.2 million in seaport dues and €14.1 million in inland port dues. The main source of income for the Port Authority comes from renting and long-term leasing of sites.