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Europe’s largest port is quietly preparing for a future that may include war.
The Port of Rotterdam is putting plans in place to handle military ships, redirect commercial cargo, and support NATO forces in the event of a conflict with Russia, officials said this week.
Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam, said preparations are being made in close coordination with Belgium’s Port of Antwerp, with both ports mapping out how to handle an influx of military vehicles, weapons, and support equipment from the U.S., U.K., and Canada.
“Not every terminal is fit to handle military cargo,” Siemons told the Financial Times. “So if a surge comes, we’ll split the traffic between us. We’re acting less like rivals now and more like allies.”
The cooperation is part of a broader European push to beef up defense systems. The European Union is working on an €800 billion rearmament plan to improve self-reliance and security, partly to reduce dependence on the U.S. and partly to prepare for further Russian aggression, as the war in Ukraine drags into its fourth year.
The Netherlands, a NATO member, has pledged to increase its defense spending to 5% of GDP. In May, the Dutch government announced that the Port of Rotterdam must be ready to regularly receive NATO ships and hold joint military exercises.
According to Siemons, NATO vessels may begin docking four to five times a year, sometimes for several weeks at a time. The port’s container terminal will be used to safely transfer ammunition, the only spot currently set up for it, and amphibious drills are expected to be held a few times a year.
Although the port handled military equipment during the Cold War and the 2003 Iraq War, it has never had a dedicated military terminal. Antwerp, by contrast, has long supported U.S. military logistics in Europe.
The push comes as NATO’s new Secretary General, former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, warned that Russia could launch an attack on a NATO country as soon as 2030.
Beyond the military build-up, the port is also playing a key role in boosting Europe’s resilience in global supply chains, a weakness exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Rotterdam has already lost around 8% of its shipping volume, mostly oil-related, due to sanctions against Moscow. The port currently handles about 436 million tons of cargo a year, making it a vital artery for European trade, especially with Germany and other neighboring countries.
Siemons says the EU needs to take the same approach to other critical goods as it has with oil reserves.
“We should be doing this for gas, copper, lithium, even medicine,” he said. “We learned the hard way during COVID and after Ukraine. Now’s the time to prepare for whatever comes next.”
Rotterdam is no longer just Europe’s busiest commercial port, it's becoming a key part of its military and strategic defense infrastructure.
*With information from the Financial Times
