Posted on April 30, 2025
Maritime traffic at the Port of Antwerp was brought to a near standstill on Tuesday due to a nationwide strike in Belgium. The industrial action, backed by a large number of dock workers and maritime pilots, has severely disrupted both seagoing and inland navigation.
The strike, organised by Belgian trade unions ACV and ABVV, is in protest against the federal government’s proposed pension reforms. As a result, an estimated 100 seagoing vessels and between 300 and 500 inland vessels are currently unable to access or depart the port.
The Antwerp-Bruges Port Authority confirmed that nautical activities have been largely suspended. Only limited operations are being maintained, including the final movements of inland vessels from the River Scheldt into the docks and minor repositioning on both riverbanks.
Disruption to seaborne traffic is expected to continue until at least 07:30 on Wednesday. The Zandvliet traffic control centre, which oversees access to major container terminals and the Deurganckdok, as well as lock coordination via the Antwerp Coordination Centre, is currently understaffed due to the strike.
According to the latest port data published at 10 a.m., 25 vessels are waiting to depart, while 31 are awaiting entry. On the North Sea, 12 seagoing vessels are holding position en route to Antwerp. Within the port area, four vessels are ready to sail.
Despite the widespread disruption, the Antwerp-Bruges Port Authority reported that towage services and lock operations remain fully operational.
In contrast, operations at the Port of Zeebrugge have not been affected. The Zeebrugge Traffic Centre is functioning normally, with no interruption to lock operations, Schuttevaer reports.
The port authority has warned of substantial economic losses, estimating millions of euros in potential damage and a recovery period of one to two days to clear the backlog once normal operations resume.
The strike has also affected rail and air transport across Belgium, amplifying the disruption caused by the coordinated national protest.
