A 4.1% decrease in cargo handling at the Belgian port of Antwerp during 2025
BRUSSELS, 27 JANUARY / WAM / The Belgian Port Authority of Antwerp-Bruges announced today that the volume of cargo handling will decline by 4.1% during the year 2025 to reach 266.5 million tons, as a result of geopolitical tensions and global economic pressures.
The authority indicated that the port was affected by the war in Ukraine, trade disputes, congestion in container terminals, in addition to labor strikes that caused a loss of about 2.4 million tons.
The port’s CEO, Jack Vandermeeren, explained that the year 2025 highlighted the extent to which the port was affected by geopolitical and economic developments, despite maintaining its position as an import and export center. The port witnessed an increase in the share of imports.
The United States became the port’s first trading partner last year, ahead of the United Kingdom, with more than 31 million tons of goods coming from the United States as a result of the rise in liquefied natural gas imports, while Belgium’s exports to the American market declined due to high customs duties on iron and steel.
Container imports from China also increased by approximately 4%, while container exports to China decreased by the same percentage, with China expected to lead automobile exporters by 2025. Vandermeeren pointed to increasing pressure on the industrial sector, with the withdrawal of investments, closure of departments, and layoffs of workers by major companies. He added that the chemical industry crisis continues without clear solutions.
Next month, the port will host an industrial summit in the presence of European officials to discuss the future of European industry. Vandermeeren concluded by noting the escalation of warnings from companies, stressing that the real competition is with China and not with European ports such as Rotterdam, considering that competition is becoming more difficult under the current circumstances.
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