Netherlands: Europe's largest port sees surge in Chinese shipments.

Storyline Europe's largest port sees surge in Chinese shipments Here, at the Port of Rotterdam, trade with China is easy to see. Ships arrive… containers are unloaded… trucks line up… and then, goods are moved on. This is the key trading gateway into Europe - and for the Netherlands itself, trade with China is the heartbeat of the economy. Mark Dijk, Manager, External Affairs Department, Port of Rotterdam: "China is the decisive factor here in Rotterdam. We see ourselves also as a giant gateway to Europe. If you look at the total number of containers, around 7 million. Half of them are coming from Asia. Sometimes it's an extra stop in Singapore, another stop, so it's hard to see. But our guess is that about half of those containers are coming from China." And it's not just the port handling that volume. Logistics companies deal with the goods after they arrive… storing, repacking, and then preparing for delivery. Dennis De Roo, Founder, Spectre Warehousing and Logistics: "We handle around 20,000 boxes a year from China at the moment." But it's the flow of goods that's changing. More products are arriving from Asia, while exports to China have fallen from previous years… Meaning, more containers coming in… And less going out. And this imbalance impacts shipping, road transport companies, and the huge network that moves goods from this port…to the rest of the continent. Sarah Coates, Reporter: "Rotterdam Port gives you a real sense of what's happening in the global economy. The containers moving through here show where goods are coming from…where they're going, and how quickly trade patterns can shift." So, what is happening here shows just how closely Europe and Beijing are connected through trade. China is a major supplier of everyday goods and an extremely important market for European companies. Dennis De Roo, Founder, Spectre Warehousing and Logistics: "Every product I have, from my cutlery to my plate to the food which is on my plate, a lot of it, I think 60, 70 percent comes from China. It's the factory of the world. And I think it's something you can't ignore." For Rotterdam, China remains a central part of business. But as patterns change, Europe is watching very closely as to how that relationship develops. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]