Posted on July 16, 2025
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges has seen positive container growth, increasing 3.6 per cent in tonnage (to 77 million tonnes) and 3.7 per cent in 6.91 million TEUs in H1 2024.
In the first six months of 2025, the total throughput of Port of Antwerp-Bruges was 137.2 million tonnes, a decrease of 4.3 per cent compared to the same period last year.
While container and RoRo traffic saw growth, both dry and liquid bulk volumes declined.
Key contributors to the congestion include irregular containership arrivals, a legacy of the COVID-19 disruptions, and rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Red Sea.
Additionally, the reshuffling of container alliances has led to simultaneous vessel calls and high cargo volumes.
Poor schedule reliability has disrupted terminal operations, leading to longer container dwell times and larger vessel loads.
Average dwell times have increased from 5 to 7-8 days, putting pressure on personnel and equipment, with union actions adding to the strain.
While waterside congestion remains manageable, the landside impact is critical. To address this, the Extra Container Capacity Antwerp (ECA) project will expand container handling space through a new dock and optimised terminal use.
In H1 2025, trade with the US grew by 17.2 per cent to 16.4 million tonnes, making the US Port of Antwerp-Bruges’ second-largest trading partner after the UK.
US imports rose by 13.1 per cent to 9.7 million tonnes, driven by containers and liquid bulk, including LNG.
Exports increased by 23.5 per cent to 6.7 million tonnes, mainly fuels and dry bulk.
Container exports held steady at 303,000 TEU, while imports rose by 12.6 per cent, indicating potential market anticipation.
The outlook for the second half of 2025 is uncertain, depending largely on a potential EU-US trade agreement by 1 August.
Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said: “In a challenging economic climate, we continue to demonstrate our resilience as a port. The growth in container traffic proves the strong foundations of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, even as congestion is felt across North-West Europe.
“Our strong trade relationship with the US confirms our role as a transatlantic gateway to Europe. At the same time, current capacity pressures highlight the need for additional container infrastructure. With the ECA project, we are focused on building for the future to support sustainable growth.”
Recently, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges experienced significant disruptions due to a national strike in Belgium.
