Port of Antwerp-Bruges Reports 3% Throughput Growth Amid Challenges

In the first nine months of 2024, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges reported a total throughput of 210.5 million tonnes, marking a 3% increase compared to the same period last year. This growth reflects strong demand for container transport, despite ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainties that have impacted other types of cargo. The port continues to invest in sustainable and innovative projects to support the energy transition and foster industrial growth.

Surge in Container Throughput

Container throughput showed robust growth, with tonnage increasing by 8.9%. Imports rose by 10.2%, and exports by 7.9%, reflecting continued growth in the third quarter. Over the first nine months of the year, total container throughput reached 10,152,000 TEUs, up by 6.8%. The Port of Antwerp-Bruges also saw an increase in its market share for container handling within the Hamburg-Le Havre Range, reaching 30.7%, a 0.8 percentage point rise compared to 2023.

Reefer Container Growth

Reefer containers, which transport temperature-sensitive products, accounted for 8.5% of total container throughput in the first nine months of 2024. Full reefer containers increased by 9.7%, highlighting the port’s strong position in handling products such as fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.

Decline in General Cargo and Roll-On/Roll-Off Traffic

Conventional general cargo saw a decrease of 4.8% compared to last year, with iron and steel slightly down by 0.6%. This decline is attributed to reduced demand in sectors like construction and automotive. Other products, such as wood, paper, and construction materials, also experienced sharp declines, while non-containerised throughput of fruit, vegetables, and refrigerated cargo increased by 4.1%.

Roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) traffic decreased by 5.5%, with significant declines in the throughput of transport equipment, trucks, and used cars. However, the drop in traffic to the UK was offset by increased traffic to Spain, Portugal, Scandinavia, and Ireland.

Dry Bulk and Liquid Bulk Throughput

Dry bulk throughput fell by 1.4%, driven largely by a sharp 55.3% drop in coal shipments. However, excluding energy products, dry bulk grew by 9.5%, with significant growth in fertilizers and other building materials. Liquid bulk throughput declined by 2.5%, primarily due to lower volumes of liquid fuels and LNG. Nevertheless, segments such as LPG, fuel oil, and chemicals showed positive growth trends.

Cruise Passenger Growth

The Port of Zeebrugge saw a 17.5% increase in cruise passengers, welcoming 412,774 passengers on 143 cruise ships in the first nine months of 2024, reflecting its growing popularity as a cruise destination.

Ocean-Going Vessel Activity

The number of ocean-going vessels calling at the port in the first nine months of 2024 decreased by 2%, while their gross tonnage dropped by 4.8%, reflecting a slight reduction in vessel traffic during the period.