Port of Antwerp container volume up 3.3% in first six months

Port of Antwerp container volume up 3.3% in first six months    Container traffic at the port of Antwerp rose 3.3 percent in the first six months of the year to 3.1 million TEUs, with record container volumes of 550,000 TEUs reported in June.
   During the first half 36.7 million tons of containerized goods were handled, an increase of 6.1 percent. Total port volume, including general cargo, roll-on/roll-off shipments and bulk, amounted to 79.4 million tons, a 5.1 percent rise.
   Ro/ro traffic dropped 2.9 percent with the number of cars, trucks and trailers handled declining to 388,298 units. The port said car exports were down 20 percent due to the closure of the Iraqi market and stricter import regulations in West Africa, as well as the high rate of the euro making imports from the Far East more attractive in Africa.
   Dry and liquid bulk traffic jumped 4.1 percent to 31.6 million tons during the first half of this year. Conventional general cargo increased 5.9 percent to 9.3 million tons.
   During the first six months of the year 7,547 ships called at the port of Antwerp, 185 less than in the same period in 2004 although the average gross tonnage per vessel increased 2.4 percent.
   On July 6, the port opened the first facilities in the new Deurganck tidal dock. When fully completed the terminal will feature a total 5,190 meters of 30-meter-high quay wall and an annual capacity of 5.5 million TEUs. In 2004, the port of Antwerp handled 6 million TEUs.