Dry bulk stable as Antwerp-Bruges grows in first half of 2024

(Posted on 22/07/24)

The total throughput of Port of Antwerp-Bruges was 143.2 million tonnes in the first six months of this year, an increase of 3% compared to the same period last year. This upward trend, which started in the first quarter driven by ? increased demand for container transport, is now extending to other product categories as well. This is despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and an uncertain macro-economic climate. Port of Antwerp-Bruges continues to be a pioneer, investing in a future-proof port.

In the past six months, throughput of iron and steel has remained more or less stable (+0.6%), with a growth in exports (+7.4%) and a drop in imports (-3.7%). This contrasts with the first quarter, which experienced a growth in imports and a decline in exports. Although most other goods continued to show a decline compared to the same period last year, the throughput of these products increased compared to the first quarter.

The dry bulk segment remains stable with a slight increase of 0.4% – a significant improvement compared to the 12.2% decline in the first quarter. Imports decreased by 6%, while exports rose by 10.9%. A sharp rise (+34.8%) was observed in the throughput of fertilisers. This is the largest product category within dry bulk and is now recovering after a sharp decline in 2023. The throughput of non-ferro ores (+26.9%) and other construction materials (other than sand and gravel) (+13.6%) grew. The throughput of coal (-40%), grains (-9.5%), sand & gravel (-8.3%) and scrap (-5.9%) dropped.

Throughput volumes of conventional breakbulk also showed an upward trend. This started in the first quarter, following a weak final quarter of 2023. Despite throughput in the first half of the year being 6.2% lower than the same period last year - due to a 12.6% decrease in imports and a 4.5% increase in exports, throughput improved in the second quarter compared to the first quarter.

In the first quarter, container throughput recovered following a global slowdown due to economic uncertainty and inflation. This growth continued in the second quarter. ? In the meantime, sailing around the Cape of Good Hope has become the 'new normal'. This ensured a rise in total container throughput of 6.8% in tonnes and 4.1% in TEUs (6,665,000 TEUs), compared to the first half of 2023.

Roll-on/roll-off traffic dropped in the first half of 2024 by 5.7% – a minor improvement compared to the end of the last quarter. The congestion at the RoRo terminals persists due to the altered business model of the car manufacturers stockpiling at the ports, decreased ? demand and delayed exports caused by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. This resulted in a decrease in throughput for all transport materials by 13.2%. The lower throughput of second-hand cars in particular (-45.8%) contributed to this, followed by high & heavy (-22.7%), trucks (-17.6%) and new cars (-9%). Throughput of unaccompanied cargo (excluding containers) carried on RoRo vessels, on the other hand, rose by 2.4%. The decline in throughput to and from the United Kingdom (-4.6%) was more than compensated by an increase in throughput to and from Spain and Portugal (+35%), Scandinavia (+18%) and Ireland (+1.4%).

The throughput of liquid ? bulk, which experienced a slight decline of 0.7% in the first quarter, grew by 0.7% by the end of the second quarter. A decrease in imports by 2.4% was compensated ? by a rise in exports of 5.4%. There was an increase ? in the throughput of gasoline (+18%) and fuel oil (+10.2%). Despite the ongoing pressure on the competitiveness of the European chemical industry due to the high costs of energy, raw materials and labour, recovering demand led to an increase in throughput of naphtha (8.2%) and chemicals (+6.7%). ? Diesel throughput dropped by19.3%, while LNG ? and other energy gases also saw declines of 6.4% and 3.6% respectively. ? Liquid fuels in total experienced a slight decline (-1.1%).

Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO at Port of Antwerp-Bruges: ”The past half year has certainly not been without ? challenges. But despite the ongoing geopolitical tensions, a still ? fragile economic climate and farmers' protests, we are continuing with positive figures once more, showing even stronger growth in the first quarter. Alongside container throughput, other product groups are also experiencing a positive trend. Moreover, despite these challenges, we remain committed to advancing our pioneering role in the energy transition, including initiatives such as ? shore power projects and ? truck charging infrastructure. This indicates that we are progressing towards ? making 2024 a year of significant achievements across all areas, driven by our ongoing resilience and the collective efforts of the entire port community.”