Port of Antwerp-Bruges growth despite challenges

(Posted on 23/10/24)

After nine months, Port of Antwerp-Bruges saw a total throughput of 210.5 million tonnes, an increase of 3% compared to the same period last year and a stabilisation in comparison to the second quarter of 2024. Demand for container transport remains strong, while the ongoing geopolitical and economic instability impacts other cargo types. Despite these challenges, the port continues to invest in sustainable and innovative projects to support energy transition and industrial growth.

Throughput of dry bulk fell by 1.4%, mainly due to a sharp drop in throughput of coal (-55.3%). Indeed, dry bulk, excluding energy products such as coal and wood pellets, grew by 9.5%. Fertilisers, the largest product category in this segment, continued its growth (+30.6%) after a sharp decline in 2022 due to sanctions and high gas prices. Other building materials and non-ferrous ores also grew by 7.3% and 4.8%, respectively, while sand & gravel (+0.1%) and scrap (-0.7%) remained more or less stable.

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% compared to last year. Iron and steel decreased slightly by 0.6%, with increased exports (+4%) partially offsetting lower imports (-3.5%). This decline is due to a lower demand from steel processing sectors such as construction and automotive. Products such as wood (-32.9%), paper and cellulose (-22.6%) and construction materials (-36.9%) also saw a decline, while non-containerised throughput of fruit, vegetables and other refrigerated cargo increased by 4.1%.

Liquid bulk throughput fell by 2.5% after nine months, due to lower volumes of liquid fuels (-8.9%) and LNG (-10.2%). Diesel throughput (-23.1%) in particular declined due to weak demand, while LPG (+8.8%), fuel oil (+8.4%), naphtha (+2.9%) and gasoline (+2.3%) showed growth. The throughput of chemicals increased by 9.3%, partly due to the strong increase in the throughput of biofuels (+52.5%). Even without this effect, chemicals showed growth (+7%). Chemical gases (+9.5%) and basic chemicals (+8.6%) also showed positive trends. Despite this recovery, the European chemicals sector remains under pressure due to high costs for energy, raw materials and wages, combined with low global demand.

Container throughput in tons increased by 8.9%, with imports increasing by 10.2% and exports by 7.9%. The growth in the first half of the year continued in the third quarter, with 12.3% more containers handled (TEUs) than in the same quarter last year. Over the first nine months, total container throughput in TEUs increased by 6.8% to 10,152,000 TEUs.

Roll-on/roll-off traffic dropped by 5.5%. While pressure on car terminals eased, this was due to reduced imports, not due to increased demand from customers. Throughput of transport equipment declined by 13.3%, high & heavy by 23.5%, trucks by 10.3%, and used cars by 42.6%. New car shipments, which surged in 2022 and 2023, fell by 11.4% in the first nine months of this year. Throughput of unaccompanied cargo (excluding containers) on RoRo vessels in Zeebrugge rose by 2.8%. The decline in traffic to and from the United Kingdom (-4.1%) was amply offset by an increase in throughput to and from Spain and Portugal (+35.7%), Scandinavia (+16.7%) and Ireland (+2.2%).

In the first nine months of 2024, 15,015 ocean-going vessels called at the port, down by 2%. The gross tonnage of these vessels fell by 4.8% to 472.45 million GT.

Latest News

Upgrade is game-changer for Port of Oshawa

Thanks to a suite of recent upgrades, vessels can now access the Port of Oshawa, Canada, 24/7, giving... Read more

Record-breaking bulker retires after three decades serving Liverpool

The Port of Liverpool has bid farewell to its longest-serving vessel, the Yeoman Bank, after it made... Read more

AD Ports Group opens Islamabad office, expanding presence in Pakistan

Abu Dhabi based AD Ports Group, a leading enabler of global trade, logistics, and industry, has officially... Read more

Rotterdam’s first half year throughput declines with dry bulk down 8.9%

Throughput in the port of Rotterdam decreased by 4.1% in the first half of 2025. This brought the total... Read more

Jeroen Eijsink to become CEO of HHLA

The Supervisory Board of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) has appointed Jeroen Eijsink as... Read more

Canada is feeding the world with support from marine shipping

As the 2025 marine shipping season has progressed, grain traffic has remained the dominant story of... Read more

ABL strengthens market value and global reach through TSA acquisition

Asian Bulk Logistics (ABL), has finalised its acquisition of Transhipment Services Australia (TSA),... Read more

Klaipeda Port leads Baltic States in cargo growth

In the first six months of this year, nearly 19 million tons of cargo were handled at Klaipeda Port.... Read more

Adam Bell named President of S.H. Bell Company

S.H. Bell Company, a trusted name in cargo handling, warehousing, and logistics for more than 90 years... Read more

Declining bulk traffic at Antwerp-Bruges in first half of 2025

In the first six months of 2025, the total throughput of Port of Antwerp-Bruges was 137.2 million tonnes... Read more