The Port of Antwerp has entered into a two-year agreement with the Brazilian federal Secretaria de Portos da Presidência da República (SEP/PR) which will see the Belgian port collaborate with its South American counterparts in a number of areas.
Signed by Antwerp Port Authority CEO Eddy Bruyninckx following a visit to Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia this month, the Memorandum of understanding will see APEC Antwerp/Flanders Port Trading – a subsidiary of Antwerp Port Authority – organise port-related training in Brazil and advise on the modernisation of port infrastructure.
Brazil is a particularly important trading partner for Antwerp, with the port the world leader for various freight types including fresh produce, timber and steel.
'Antwerp aims not just to make its know-how available, but also to invest in training,' said APEC Antwerp/Flanders Port Training CEO Paul Verkoyen. 'For three decades now APEC Antwerp/Flanders Port Training has played an important role in transferring knowledge from Flanders all over the world in all aspects of port activity.
'During that time more than 10,000 people working in ports around the world have followed short training courses in Flanders,' he added. 'Already 117 alumni from Brazil have visited our training centre.'
