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Antwerp-Bruges – not bad, considering

[ July 18, 2023   //   ]

Total throughput of Port of Antwerp-Bruges was 139 million tonnes in the first six months of this year, down 5.5% compared to the same period last year.

The port – which comprises Antwerp and Zeebrugge – said that while the global economic situation is causing a drop in container demand, other cargo flows show a mixed picture. In the current unstable economic conditions, the port is holding up well and is also gaining market share in containers compared to the others in the Hamburg-Le Havre range.

Operational challenges and congestion at the container terminals were resolved after two difficult ​ years, with deviated cargo returning. The fall in the second quarter (-4.6% in TEU terms) was less marked than in the first quarter of the year (-5.8%).

The number of reefer containers grew by 10.6% compared to the same period last year, with Antwerp-Bruges remaining the most important fruit port in Europe.

Ro ro traffic performed well in the first six months of 2023, up 0.1% with 1.8 million new cars shipped in and out – 15% of 2022. Throughput of transport equipment grew by 3.6%, while unaccompanied freight (excluding containers) fell by 2.1%. Irish traffic increased by 16.7%, but the UK declined by 4%.

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