Port reports that the positive trend in container throughput continued through the first nine months of the year, although the geopolitical situation has slowed growth in other product groups
Port of Antwerp-Bruges saw a total throughput of 210.5mn tonnes through the first nine months of the year, an increase of 3 per cent compared with the same period last year.
Demand for container transport remained strong, the port said, while ongoing geopolitical and economic instability had impacted other cargo types.
Despite these challenges, there had been continued investment in sustainable and innovative projects to support energy transition and industrial growth, it noted.
Container throughput in tonnes increased by 8.9 per cent year-on-year, with imports growing by 10.2 per cent and exports by 7.9 per cent.
The growth seen in the first half of the year continued in the third quarter, with 12.3 per cent more containers handled (TEUs) than in the same quarter of 2023.
Over the first nine months, total container throughput in TEUs increased by 6.8 per cent to 10.15mn TEUs.
In the first half of this year, Port of Antwerp-Bruges’ market share in container handling in the Hamburg–Le Havre Range grew by 0.8 percentage points compared to 2023, to 30.7 per cent.
The port pointed out that nearly one in ten of the containers handled was a reefer container.
Through the January to September period, the number of full reefers increased by 9.7 per cent, accounting for 8.5 per cent of total container throughput.
These temperature-controlled containers carried products such as fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, pharmaceuticals and chemicals.
Although conventional general cargo performed strongly in the second quarter, throughput fell in the third quarter, bringing total throughput for the first nine months of 2024 down by 4.8 per cent compared to last year.
”Despite ongoing geopolitical and economic challenges, Port of Antwerp-Bruges’ growth is stabilising.,” the port stated. ”The figures again underscore the resilience of the port, which in complex times continues to pioneer and invest in a future-proof port where sustainability and economic growth go hand in hand.
Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO at Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said that despite geopolitical tensions, rising energy prices and global competition, the port was stabilising its growth thanks in part to a strong position in container handling.
”Sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, cyberattacks and other challenges are forcing us to remain flexible and resilient,” he explained. ”Along with our partners, we are continuing to build a future-proof port where innovation supports both sustainability and economic growth.”
