Port of Antwerp-Bruges has handled 6.6 million TEUs in the first six months of the year, representing a 4.1% increase compared to the same period last year.
At the same time, the total throughput of the Belgian port was 143.2 million tonnes in the first half of 2024, a growth of 3% compared to the same period in 2023.
“This upward trend, which started in the first quarter driven by increased demand for container transport, is now extending to other product categories as well,” pointed out a port official. “This is despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and an uncertain macro-economic climate.”
Moreover, throughput volumes of conventional breakbulk also showed an upward trend. This started in the first quarter, following a weak final quarter of 2023. Despite throughput in the first half of the year being 6.2% lower than the same period last year, due to a 12.6% decrease in imports and a 4.5% increase in exports, throughput improved in the second quarter compared to the first one.
Additionally, in the past six months, throughput of iron and steel has remained more or less stable (+0.6%), with a growth in exports (+7.4%) and a drop in imports (-3.7%). This contrasts with the first quarter, which experienced a growth in imports and a decline in exports.
Furthermore, roll-on/roll-off traffic at the port of Antwerp-Bruges dropped in the first half of 2024 by 5.7%. “The congestion at the RoRo terminals persists due to the altered business model of the car manufacturers stockpiling at the ports, decreased demand and delayed exports caused by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope,” noted a port representative.
This resulted in a decrease in throughput for all transport materials by 13.2%. The lower throughput of second-hand cars in particular (-45.8%) contributed to this, followed by high & heavy (-22.7%), trucks (-17.6%) and new cars (-9%). Throughput of unaccompanied cargo (excluding containers) carried on RoRo vessels, on the other hand, rose by 2.4%.
Meanwhile, the dry bulk segment remains stable with a slight increase of 0.4% with imports decreasing by 6% and exports rising by 10.9%.
The throughput of liquid bulk, which experienced a slight decline of 0.7% in the first quarter, grew by 0.7% by the end of the second quarter. A decrease in imports by 2.4% was compensated by a rise in exportsd of 5.4%.
During the first half of 2024, 9,906 ocean-going vessels called at the major European port, marking a decrease of 2.8%, while the gross tonnage of these vessels fell by 4.2%.
Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO at Port of Antwerp-Bruges, commented, “The past half year has certainly not been without challenges. But despite the ongoing geopolitical tensions, a still fragile economic climate and farmers’ protests, we are continuing with positive figures once more, showing even stronger growth in the first quarter. Alongside container throughput, other product groups are also experiencing a positive trend. Moreover, despite these challenges, we remain committed to advancing our pioneering role in the energy transition, including initiatives such a shore power projects and truck charging infrastructure. This indicates that we are progressing towards making 2024 a year of significant achievements across all areas, driven by our ongoing resilience and the collective efforts of the entire port community.”
