Port of Antwerp: mixed volumes for dry bulk in 2017

In 2017, the port handled 223 606 610 t of freight, an increase of 4.4% compared with the previous year. Many sectors had an increased performance: the container volume expanded in tonnage by 4.3% (123 million t), liquid bulk increased by 5.7% (73.1 million t), and conventional breakbulk, such as steel, rose by 4.8% (10.3 million t), and ro/ro completed the growth list with 10.5% (5.1 million t).

But, other sectors saw declines in volumes: dry bulk such as coal and ores lagged behind in the tables, finishing the year with a drop of 3.7% (down to approximately 12.2 million t).

However other dry bulk sectors did increase volumes. The amount of fertilizers handled – the largest category within dry bulk – increased by 3.7% to approximately 3.7 million t.

Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of Antwerp Port Authority, drew positive conclusions: “Finishing the year with such strong growth figures gives us confidence for the future. The port companies too remain firmly convinced of the advantages of Antwerp and the strengths that it has to offer, witness the many investments that we were able to welcome in 2017. In 2018, we seek to build further on the momentum of the previous year. This means that we will take the entire world as the scale for our decisions, with maximum facilitation for our customers as the basis.”

Read the article online at: https://www.drybulkmagazine.com/ports-terminals/18012018/port-of-antwerp-mixed-volumes-for-dry-bulk-in-2017/