The Belgian ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge have officially completed their merger and will from now on operate under the name, Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
At the general meeting on 22 April 2022, the two cities signed the shareholders' agreement of the unified port company.
Today, the unified port provides approximately 74,000 direct and 90,000 indirect jobs and with an added value of nearly €21 billion (US$22 billion) or 4.5% of Belgian gross domestic product is by far the largest economic engine in the country.
"Port of Antwerp-Bruges has major ambitions to become the energy gateway to Europe as a 'green port'," said Annick De Ridder, Vice-Mayor of the City of Antwerp and President of the board of directors of Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges is Europe's largest export port, the largest throughput port for vehicles, the largest integrated chemical cluster and one of the leading container ports in Europe.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges said it has the ambition of becoming the first global port to reconcile economy, people and climate. The unified port plans to further strengthen its position in the international logistics chain, take a leading role in the energy and digital transition, and at the same time create sustainable added value for society as a whole.
Dirk De fauw, Mayor of the City of Bruges and Vice-President of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, commented, " I am convinced that this merger will lead to sustainable growth in economic activity and jobs in both sites, and boost Flanders' international reputation around the world."
