The Port of Antwerp has announced that it handled some 42m tonnes of freight during the first quarter of 2010, an increase of 12.7 per cent year-on-year, with containers making up 58 per cent of the total.
In tonnage terms, container volumes grew by 20.1 per cent through the three-month period to 24.3m tonnes, up from 20.2m tonnes in 2009, with standard containers up 15.9 per cent to a just over 2m tonnes.
Shipments of fresh fruit remained stable compared with 2009, the Port Authority noted, along with wood cellulose and paper, while liquid and dry bulk increased 7.8 per cent to 14.3m tonnes and dry bulk rose 17.4 per cent.
A total of 3,499 seagoing ships called at Antwerp in the first quarter, 2.7 per cent greater than last year, with the gross register tonnage up by 1 per cent to 66.8m tonnes.
'Antwerp aims to expand its position in all categories and types of freight. It will continue to focus on the future-oriented synergy between industry, cargo handling and logistics that inspires more and more ports,' said port alderman Marc Van Peel.
Port Authority CEO Eddy Bruyninckx, meanwhile, drew attention to the Antwerp's advantage in being able to generate cargo.
'This cargo-generating capacity will be further developed by the work groups for the global plan that will be presented in June at the general conference of the Port of Antwerp,' Mr Bruyninckx noted.
