Growth in Container Traffic at Port of Antwerp-Bruges: Indicators Return to 2022 Levels

*The image is for illustrative purposes only. Source: Internet.

The container turnover at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Europe’s second-largest container port, reached 3.5 million TEU in the third quarter of 2024, showing a 12.4% increase compared to the same period last year. Over the first nine months, the port handled 10.2 million TEU, a 7% rise from the previous year, bringing volumes close to 2022 levels.

The total weight of container traffic also increased, with a 13.5% growth for the third quarter and a 9% increase over nine months.

This growing demand for container transshipment has driven the port’s total cargo turnover up by 3%, reaching 37.3 million tons. As a result, the share of containerized cargo in the port’s cargo structure rose to 57%, compared to 49% at the start of 2022.

Meanwhile, demand for new car transshipments declined, with around 700,000 units processed in the third quarter—a decrease of nearly one-third compared to the previous year. Over the nine-month period, car turnover dropped by 16%. Additionally, liquid bulk cargo volume saw a 9% decline in the third quarter, following stable levels in the first half of the year.