Antwerp Q1 box volumes near ?08 level

Antwerp Q1 box volumes near Æ08 level    The Port of Antwerp said Thursday that first quarter container volume nearly matched that of the first quarter of 2008.
   The port handled 2.01 million TEUs from January through March, a 15.9 percent increase on the same period in 2009, and just 3 percent lower than the 2.08 million TEUs the port handled in the first quarter of 2008 — the highest volume the port recorded in the past decade during that period.
   Liquid and dry bulk volume rose 7.8 percent to 14.3 million tons, roll-on/roll-off volume grew 1.8 percent to 807,157 tons, and car volume increased 22.7 percent to 197,472 units.
   Only conventional/breakbulk volume was down on 2009, the port said.