In the first half of 2025, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges increased container throughput by 3.7% to 6.91 million TEU, despite continued pressure on terminal capacity. Congestion was caused by irregular vessel calls, rerouting around the Red Sea, restructuring of container alliances and reduced schedule reliability, which increased the average container storage period to 7-8 days. To relieve terminal congestion, the port is implementing the Extra Container Capacity Antwerp project, which provides for the expansion of berths and the optimization of the use of current space.
Results in other segments were mixed. Liquid bulk transshipment decreased by 17.1% due to lower supplies of fuel, naphtha and LNG, while chemical products grew by 8.9% due to biofuels. Dry bulk volumes fell by 11% due to a drop in coal and construction supplies, but fertilizer supplies increased amid the EU sanctions pressure on Russia. General cargo handling fell by 4.3%, while Ro-Ro traffic increased by 1.4%.
The port pays particular attention to trade with the US, which grew by 17.2% to 16.4 million tonnes, strengthening the US status as the second largest trading partner. Container, liquid and dry cargo contributed to the growth, but car exports fell by almost 16% due to US tariffs. Trade prospects in the second half of the year will largely depend on the outcome of negotiations on the EU-US trade agreement, expected in August.