On the whole, many NST/R commodity groups showed considerable growth in 2010, compensating nearly all of the losses of the crisis year of 2009. The group of agricultural and forestry products, for which an increase in volumes was already registered in 2009, recorded an increase of 12.7% or 201,300 tons in 2010, equalling close to 1.8 million tons. Thus, this commodity group alone accounted for more than 16% of the total volume of goods carried on the Austrian section of the Danube. The commodity accounting for the major part of these transport operations was grain from Hungary, which was transported in transit through Austria to the west.

With a share of close to 32% or more than 3.5 million tons, the NST/R group of ores and metal waste again accounted for the largest cargo volume transported on the Austrian Danube in 2010. These products not only showed an increase in transport volumes by 27.3% or 750,770 tons over 2009, but even 7% more ores and metal waste were transported on the Danube in comparison to 2008.

Significant increases in terms of percentages in the total amount of goods carried were recorded for the commodity groups chemical products (+146.8% or +63,987 tons), crude and manufactured minerals (+47.2% or +151,576 tons) as well as fertilisers (+40.4% or +308,097 tons). With more than 1.6 million tons of goods, these commodities taken together accounted for about 15% of the entire transport volume transported on the Austrian Danube in 2010.

Regarding the group of metal products, 200,521 tons of goods more were carried on the Austrian Danube than in 2009, which is equivalent to an increase of 26.4% to 960,036 tons.

Due to an increase of 12.8% or 244,379 tons to 2.2 million tons in 2010, petroleum products almost reached the level of 2008, which amounted to 2.3 million tons. Besides the group of ores and metal waste and with close to 20%, this commodity group showed the second-largest share in the overall transport volume on the Austrian section of the Danube.

Compared to 2009, the volume of the commodity group of machinery, vehicles and other articles increased by 2.9% or 8,673 tons to 305,873 tons in 2010, but remained below the level of 2008. This NST/R group also includes container and roll-on-roll-off cargo of which about 2,500 TEU–mainly empty containers–were transhipped on the water side in public Danube ports.

Despite the positive trend, two NST/R commodity groups have suffered declines in comparison to 2009. While foodstuffs and animal fodder showed a decrease of only 8.1% or 42,151 tons, the volume of solid fuels was reduced by 42.0% or 156,882 tons to 216,567 tons.