Port quarterly figures reflect resilience

18 Apr 2024 / Antwerp-Bruges, Belgium

The total cargo throughput of Port of Antwerp-Bruges amounted to 70.4 million tonnes in the first quarter of this year, a rise of 2.4% compared to the same period last year...

…Container throughput picked up again from February, with March even witnessing the best monthly throughput since March 2021. This resulted in a rise in total container throughput of 8.6% in tonnes and 6% in TEUs (3,287,000 TEUs), compared to the first quarter of 2023…

…Throughput volumes of conventional general cargo also showed an upward trend again. Although throughput decreased by 7.8% compared to the same period last year, it grew by 6.9% compared to the last quarter of 2023…

…Roll-on/roll-off traffic decreased by 6.9% in the first quarter of 2024. The ongoing congestion at RoRo terminals resulted in a decrease in throughput of all transport equipment (-9%). This is mainly due to lower throughput of used cars (-52.5%), as well as high & heavy (-25%), trucks (-23.9%) and new cars (-5.5%). Throughput of unaccompanied cargo (excluding containers) carried on RoRo vessels grew by 1.7%...

…While outgoing flows of dry bulk rose by 9.7%, incoming flows fell by 24.4%, resulting in a fall of 12.1% in the dry bulk segment. Now that the energy crisis has abated somewhat, demand for coal has fallen sharply (-68.6%). Throughput of fertilizers, the largest product category within dry bulk, has recovered since the last quarter of 2023 (+33.9%), especially in imports. Throughput of non-ferrous ores (+47.3%), and scrap metal (+5.7%) also grew. Lower demand from the construction sector affected throughput of sand and gravel (-12.5%) and cereals are increasingly being transported in containers rather than in bulk (-43.7%).

Throughput of liquid bulk held up relatively well, recording a slight decline of 0.9%, with outgoing flows increasing by 4.2% but incoming flows falling by 4.1%. There was growth in the throughput of fuel oil (+25.2%), gasoline (+12.1%) and LNG (+10%)…

…In the first quarter of 2024, 4,855 sea-going vessels called at the port, a decrease by 1.8%. The gross tonnage of these vessels fell by 2.4%...

…The fact that the quarterly figures show growth despite the weak economic climate is a confirmation of Port of Antwerp-Bruges' resilience, as the port continues to pioneer and invest, even in challenging times, to ensure that it is future-proof.

For sustainable growth, the port must be able to accommodate the very largest container vessels. The required 16-meter draught in this regard was recently achieved by the first container vessel. In addition, a new record for the largest container volume handled on a single ship was set in March on the MSC China, with 26,201 TEUs…

(For information about operations in Belgium, contact GAC Belgium at [email protected])

Source: Extracts from Port of Antwerp-Bridges press release dated 17 April 2024

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