December 29 - The Port of Antwerp expected to close 2016 with a record cargo throughput of over 214 million tonnes, despite a year-on-year decline in conventional breakbulk and ro-ro volumes.
The Belgian port handled over 10 million teu of containerised cargo over the past 12 months - a first for the European gateway. Meanwhile, the port's liquid bulk throughput also grew year-on-year.
The Port of Antwerp noted that there were positive figures in the conventional breakbulk and dry bulk sectors, but overall totals for both segments were negative. The port attributed this in part to the continuing trend towards containerisation.
Ro-ro volumes at the port declined by 1.9 percent compared with the previous year, which the port attributed to a drop in exports to Africa, the Near East and the Middle East Gulf. On the import side, ro-ro volumes were up 9.5 percent year-on-year.
Meanwhile, the volume of conventional breakbulk handled fell by 2.4 percent compared with 2015, despite steel cargoes experiencing growth of 12 percent.
