by Lloyd's List

22 October 2024 (Lloyd's List) - THE port of Antwerp-Bruges increased its container throughput in the third quarter of 2024 and in turn recorded increased throughput for the first nine months of the year.

The key Belgian port group handled 12.3% more teu in the third quarter of 2024 compared to 2023, and 6.8% year to date, meaning the port has handled 10.2m teu so far this year.

As a result, Antwerp-Bruges has increased its market share in terms of container handling among the Hamburg-Le Havre Range, which includes Europe’s largest port, Rotterdam.

Chief executive Jacques Vandermeiren said the port’s container business was crucial to its stability.

“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,” he said.

While Antwerp-Bruges’ container handling business has strengthened in the third quarter of the year, the same can’t be said of bulk cargo.

General cargo suffered in the third quarter to bring the total throughput down 4.8% in 2024 versus the same period in 2023. Iron and steel throughput fell 0.6%, with increased exports stabilising lower imports though Antwerp-Bruges.

Ro-ro traffic fell 5.5%, the port said, largely due to a drop in imports. New car shipments (crucial to Zeebrugge as one of Europe’s busiest car handling ports) dropped 11.4% in the first nine months of the year after surges in 2022 and 2023.

Coal throughout fell by more than half, driving a decrease in dry bulk volumes, which were down 1.4% in the third quarter, though fertiliser continued its strong growth, up 30.6% in the third quarter.

Liquid cargoes also fell 2.5% in the third quarter of the year, again driven by poor diesel demand and a decrease in LNG throughput.