The Port of Antwerp-Bruges has registered a small year-on-year increase of 1.4 per cent in the first six months of this year, as the port authority praised its unified position in facing ongoing crisis.
The total throughput came at 147.2 million tonnes, registering a 9.8 per cent fall in containers (tonnes) and a 6.2 per cent decline in TEU compared to a strong first half in 2021.
With globally disrupted container liner shipping, vessel delays and high volumes of import cargo, the container trade faced unprecedented operational challenges, said the port.
Throughput of containers related to Russia decreased by 39 per cent due to the conflict in Ukraine.
Conventional general cargo grew strongly by 22 per cent in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2021 and recorded the highest throughput volume since 2011.
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges has attributed this result to a solid increase in imports of steel.
Roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) traffic also saw an increase of 8.9 per cent, performing well in the UK and Irish markets with a 6.8 per cent and 47 per cent year-on-year growth respectively.
The number of new and used cars showed a slight recovery of 2.5 per cent and 1.7 per cent, while the number of trucks decreased by 19 per cent.
“Given the current geopolitical and macroeconomic context, this slight growth is definitely a relief,” said Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
“These figures confirm that we are stronger together as a unified port. The context continues to pose significant challenges, especially in the container segment.
“Thanks to the merger, we can now offer two complementary platforms as a unified port, significantly strengthening our position in the international logistics chain and as one of the main gateways to Europe.”
The foundation has set itself the goal of making green hydrogen acceptable as an energy substitute in Europe – thereby advancing the energy transition and independence from Russian gas supplies.
