The Port of Antwerp-Bruges recorded a 6.8 per cent increase in container throughput, reaching 10.15 million TEUs in the first nine months of the year.
The rise from the first half of the year continued in the third quarter, with 12.3 per cent more TEUs than the same period last year.
In the first half of this year, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges’ market share in container handling in the Hamburg-Le Havre Range increased by 0.8 percentage points compared to 2023, reaching 30.7 per cent.
Nearly one in every 10 containers handled is a reefer container. During the first nine months of 2024, complete reefers climbed by 9.7 per cent and accounted for 8.5 per cent of total container traffic.
Total throughput reached 210.5 million tonnes in the first nine months, marking a 3 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. Container throughput in tonnes rose by 8.9 per cent, with imports growing by 10.2 per cent and exports by 7.9 per cent.
Although conventional general cargo performed successfully in the second quarter, throughput declined in the third quarter, putting overall throughput for the first nine months of 2024 down by 4.8 per cent compared to the previous year.
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Iron and steel declined by 0.6 per cent, with higher exports (+4 per cent) somewhat offsetting lower imports (-3.5 per cent).
RoRo traffic fell by 5.5 per cent. While pressure on automobile terminals lessened, it was owing to lower imports rather than greater client demand.
Transportation equipment throughput fell 13.3 per cent, high and heavy by 23.5 per cent, trucks by 10.3 per cent, and used automobiles by 42.6 per cent.
New automobile shipments, which rose in 2022 and 2023, decreased by 11.4 per cent in the first nine months of this year.
The volume of unaccompanied cargo (excluding containers) aboard RoRo vessels in Zeebrugge increased by 2.8 per cent.
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Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said: “Despite the complex times in which we operate, with geopolitical tensions, rising energy prices and global competition, we are stabilising our growth, thanks in part to our strong position in container handling.
“Sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, cyberattacks and other challenges are forcing us to remain flexible and resilient. Along with our partners, we are continuing to build a future-proof port where innovation supports both sustainability and economic growth.”
