Port of Antwerp grows throughput in first nine months of 2017

The Belgian port handled 167.1 million metric tons of cargo during the first nine months of the year, fueled by growth in the container, liquid bulk, conventional breakbulk and roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) sectors.    The Port of Antwerp handled 167.1 million metric tons of cargo during the first nine months of 2017, up 3.3 percent from the corresponding 2016 period, the Antwerp Port Authority said Monday.
   The Belgian port experienced year-over-year tonnage growth in the container, liquid bulk, conventional breakbulk and roll-on/roll off (ro-ro) sectors for the first nine months of 2017, while the dry bulk sector experienced a slight decline in tonnage.
   The container sector handled 91.9 million metric tons of cargo during the first nine months of 2017, an increase of 3.7 percent from the same period last year, thanks to the port gaining new liner services, and the new alliance groupings setting sail in April working out in the port’s favor.
   The port recorded stronger container business with North America and the Far East, and weaker business with Europe.
   Meanwhile, the port handled 54.5 million metric tons of liquid bulk during the first nine months of the year, up 2.4 percent from the same period last year, and 9.2 million metric tons of dry bulk, down 0.8 percent.
   Conventional breakbulk tonnage stood at 7.8 million metric tons, while ro-ro tonnage totaled 3.7 million metric tons, year-over-year increases of 7.7 percent and 10.7 percent, respectively.
   Ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting’s Port Dashboard tool shows that addition to various intra-North Europe liner services, the Port of Antwerp is called by 93 liner services connecting it to regions outside of North Europe, including 57 services deploying fully cellular containerships; 17 services deploying either pure car/truck carriers or ro-ro vessels; 13 services deploying multi-purpose vessels; and two services each deploying ConRo, reefer and open-hatch vessels.