11 January 2023 (Lloyd's List) - PORT of Antwerp-Bruges, the unified authority of the former Antwerp and Zeebrugge ports, got off to a slow start in its first year as a joint enterprise in the face of geopolitical and economic challenges. “I think we can look back on a successful first year of our merged ports,” chief executive Jacques Vandermeiren told a press conference. “We have seen some nice successes this past year. But the context of this has not been easy, neither geopolitically nor macroeconomically. I think we have really proved that we have a place as a merged port. Our ports have become more resilient, more competitive and more attractive to investors.” Total cargo throughput at the combined ports fell 0.7% to 286.9m tonnes, as a downturn in container traffic dragged on volumes, but Mr Vandermeiren said that represented a “very good result”. “We had a slight decrease compared to a fantastic 2021 so [the decrease] is negligible, especially given that Russia was closed overnight to exports,” he said. “Of course it is a pity for a first year as a merged port, but the challenges were mostly present in container traffic.” Container volumes were down 5.2% to 13.5m teu as supply chain congestion continued throughout the year and was compounded by international events. “There has been a lot of pressure on the segment because of congestion and Covid, which means that there are fewer ships but more containers on each ship, and which complicates the management of cargoes,” Mr Vandermeiren said. “There have been delays in the entire supply chain, a phenomenon that is not exclusive to our port. It is more difficult to load and unload efficiently and to ensure smooth mobility to the hinterland.” Nevertheless, he noted that there were signs of an improvement. “We already see that things were improving by the end of last year, and that is something we also hear from shipping companies and our container terminals. There is some light at the end of the tunnel. We hope to be able to show some growth this year.” He added that the merger was adding value to both ports, which had seen a flood of new investments and projects since the merger, particularly in energy transition. “Thanks to the complementary nature of both platforms, we can already see the added value of the merger and, as a unified port, we are much stronger in the face of future challenges.” That would be critical for developments in the year ahead. “We did not quite go back to business as usual in 2022, and the prospects for 2023 are not exactly stable either, but we really hope to be there in 2023 and show our resilience as a port,” he said. “We continue to face significant challenges to be able to stand our ground in difficult times.”