The following release was published by Port of Antwerp-Bruges:
Market share of containers on the rise
The total throughput of Port of Antwerp-Bruges was 139 million tonnes in the first six months of this year, a fall of 5.5% compared to the same period last year. While the global economic situation is causing a drop in demand for container transport, other cargo flows show a mixed picture. In the current unstable economic conditions, the port is holding up well and is also gaining market share in container handling compared to the other ports in the Hamburg – Le Havre range.
Operational challenges and congestion at the container terminals were resolved after two difficult years, with deviated cargo returning. This results in an improvement in the second quarter (-4.6% in TEU) compared to the results after the first quarter of this year (-5.8% in TEU). However, the uncertain economic situation, decreasing industrial production and low consumer confidence are leading to a global slowdown in demand for container transport of as much as 9% in the first quarter of this year. This results in a decrease in container handling at port of Antwerp-Bruges of 5.9% in tons and 5.2% in TEUs, compared to the first six months of 2022. Compared to the other ports in the Hamburg – Le Havre range, Port of Antwerp-Bruges' market share increases by 1% point to 30.6% in the first three months of 2023.
Source: Port of Antwerp-Bruges