Port of Antwerp sets all-time first quarter container traffic record
The Port of Antwerp saw container volumes reach a record high during the first quarter of 2012, following a 0.7 percent rise in box traffic over the same period the previous year, Port Technology reports.
The Belgian port handled 2,188,150 TEU during the three-month period, 15,862 TEU more than in 2010.
“The Antwerp container handlers have never before had such a good first quarter,” according to a statement on the Antwerp Port Authority’s website.
“The next quarter also looks very promising, with the arrival of two Far East services,” the statement added.
The modest rise is made all the more significant following the news that Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port, and the Belgian port’s biggest rival saw a decline in container traffic of 4 percent.
However, Rotterdam will retain its position as Europe’s top ranked container port having handled 2.78 million TEU during the first quarter of the year. Antwerp is still expected to remain the third largest behind Hamburg, which has yet to publish its first quarter figures.
In terms of tonnage, the Antwerp container volume in the first quarter of this year grew by 2.9 percent to 27,000,161 tonnes. In the same period last year the volume was 26,240,633 tonnes.
Total first quarter throughput in Antwerp decreased by 2.2 percent to 46.3 million metric tons.
The port’s liquid and dry bulk volumes tumbled by 8.9 percent to 15,667,641 tonnes, while steel also slumped 20.3 percent to 1.55 million tons.
The decline in imports of crude oil was particularly marked, falling by 91.6 percent to 105,766 tonnes, following the halting of production at BRC, while volumes of oil
derivatives and chemicals also fell, respectively by 3.1 percent to 7,580,213 tonnes and by 8.0 percent to 2,537,357 tonnes.
Antwerp’s dry bulk business saw throughput rise 1.4 percent to 5,325,364 tonnes. In this category there were increases in the volume of coal (up 34.5 percent to 1,733,028 tonnes) and grain (up 18.7 percent to 323,955 tonnes), while contractions were suffered by fertilizers (down 19.7 percent to 1,074,898 tonnes) and ore (down 29.9 percent to 663,743 tonnes).
The ro/ro volume for its part was up by 12.3 percent to 1,125,342 tonnes, according to the Port Authority, with the number of autos handled growing by 14.8 percent to 289,842.
During the first quarter of 2012 there were 3,629 calls by seagoing ships in the Port of Antwerp, down 3.0 percent on the same period last year, while gross tonnage was up by 0.4 percent, to 77.5 million.
The Belgian port handled 2,188,150 TEU during the three-month period, 15,862 TEU more than in 2010.
“The Antwerp container handlers have never before had such a good first quarter,” according to a statement on the Antwerp Port Authority’s website.
“The next quarter also looks very promising, with the arrival of two Far East services,” the statement added.
The modest rise is made all the more significant following the news that Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port, and the Belgian port’s biggest rival saw a decline in container traffic of 4 percent.
However, Rotterdam will retain its position as Europe’s top ranked container port having handled 2.78 million TEU during the first quarter of the year. Antwerp is still expected to remain the third largest behind Hamburg, which has yet to publish its first quarter figures.
In terms of tonnage, the Antwerp container volume in the first quarter of this year grew by 2.9 percent to 27,000,161 tonnes. In the same period last year the volume was 26,240,633 tonnes.
Total first quarter throughput in Antwerp decreased by 2.2 percent to 46.3 million metric tons.
The port’s liquid and dry bulk volumes tumbled by 8.9 percent to 15,667,641 tonnes, while steel also slumped 20.3 percent to 1.55 million tons.
The decline in imports of crude oil was particularly marked, falling by 91.6 percent to 105,766 tonnes, following the halting of production at BRC, while volumes of oil
derivatives and chemicals also fell, respectively by 3.1 percent to 7,580,213 tonnes and by 8.0 percent to 2,537,357 tonnes.
Antwerp’s dry bulk business saw throughput rise 1.4 percent to 5,325,364 tonnes. In this category there were increases in the volume of coal (up 34.5 percent to 1,733,028 tonnes) and grain (up 18.7 percent to 323,955 tonnes), while contractions were suffered by fertilizers (down 19.7 percent to 1,074,898 tonnes) and ore (down 29.9 percent to 663,743 tonnes).
The ro/ro volume for its part was up by 12.3 percent to 1,125,342 tonnes, according to the Port Authority, with the number of autos handled growing by 14.8 percent to 289,842.
During the first quarter of 2012 there were 3,629 calls by seagoing ships in the Port of Antwerp, down 3.0 percent on the same period last year, while gross tonnage was up by 0.4 percent, to 77.5 million.