Port of Antwerp-Bruges saw a notable increase in total cargo throughput for the first quarter of this year, reaching 70.4 million tonnes, marking a 2.4% rise compared to the same period last year. This growth, amidst a challenging geopolitical and macroeconomic landscape, reflects the port’s resilience, primarily fueled by a resurgence in container throughput.
Following a global slowdown in container shipping demand in 2023 due to economic uncertainties and inflation, container throughput rebounded from February, with March achieving the highest monthly throughput since March 2021. This uptick translated into an 8.6% increase in total container throughput by tonnes and a 6% rise in TEUs (3,287,000 TEUs) compared to Q1 2023. Additionally, the port’s market share in container handling within the Hamburg – Le Havre Range expanded to 29.9% in 2023.
Conventional general cargo throughput showed signs of recovery, despite a 7.8% decline compared to the previous year. Notably, iron and steel throughput remained steady, with incoming flows rising by 1.4% while outgoing flows saw a slight dip by 3.8%. However, most other goods experienced a downturn compared to Q1 2023.
Roll-on/roll-off traffic faced a 6.9% decline in Q1 2024, attributed to ongoing congestion at RoRo terminals. This congestion led to reduced throughput of various transport equipment, including used cars (-52.5%), high & heavy cargo (-25%), trucks (-23.9%), and new cars (-5.5%). However, unaccompanied cargo throughput on RoRo vessels increased by 1.7%, with throughput shifts noted in trade with the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and Scandinavia.
Dry bulk throughput witnessed mixed trends, with outgoing flows increasing by 9.7% while incoming flows decreased by 24.4%, resulting in a 12.1% overall decline in the segment. Conversely, liquid bulk throughput experienced a marginal 0.9% decline, with notable growth in fuel oil (+25.2%), gasoline (+12.1%), and LNG (+10%). Despite challenges in the European chemical industry, chemical and naphtha throughput rose by 5.2% and 12%, respectively.
In terms of vessel traffic, the port experienced a slight decrease, with 4,855 sea-going vessels calling at the port, representing a 1.8% decline. Meanwhile, Zeebrugge reported a decrease in cruise passengers in Q1 2024, welcoming 99,211 passengers on 19 cruise ships, marking a 10.7% drop compared to the record first quarter of 2023.