Antwerp boosted container traffic by 16.1 percent in 2010 from a depressed 2009, helping the port to retain its ranking as Europe’s second largest box port after Rotterdam.
The Belgian port handled 8.48 million TEUs this year compared to 7.2 million TEUs in 2009 and just short of the record 8.6 million TEUs in 2008.
Overall cargo volume jumped 13 percent to 178 million metric tons but fell short of the record 189.5 million metric tons handled in 2008, according to provisional figures.
Conventional or break bulk traffic increased by 6.3 percent to 11.1 million metric tons but was down 34.4 percent on the 16.9 million metric tons shipped in 2008.
“Conventional/breakbulk is the sector having the greatest difficulty in recovering from the recession,” the Antwerp Port Authority said. “Steel products, wood cellulose, paper and fruit all suffered heavy blows in 2009 and are struggling to get up again.”
The port authority said Antwerp still remains Europe’s leading breakbulk port “although this position has been coming under increasing pressure lately.”
Roll on-roll off traffic jumped 14.8 percent to 3.6 metric tons but is still down 16.9 percent from 2008 largely on lower imports of new cars.
Dry and liquid bulk cargoes grew by 12 percent and 4.8 percent respectively with crude oil jumping 20.6 percent and chemicals up 18 percent.
Coal shipments continued to decline, dropping by 16.3 percent from 2009.
The Journal of Commerce Online
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