The total cargo handled at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges has been reported at 143.2 million tonnes in the first six months of this year, an increase of 3% compared to the same period last year. The upward trend, which started in the first quarter driven by increased demand for container transport, is now extending to other product categories as well.This is despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and an uncertain macro-economic climate.
In the first quarter, container throughput recovered following a global slowdown due to economic uncertainty and inflation. This growth continued in the second quarter. In the meantime, sailing around the Cape of Good Hope has become the ‘new normal’. This ensured a rise in total container throughput of 6.8% in tonnes and 4.1% in TEUs (6,665,000 TEUs), compared to the first half of 2023.
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 quarter.
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.
(Photo of Port of Antwerp-Bruges)
