Another record year for the Port of Antwerp
With tonnage this year expected to have reached 235 million tonnes by midnight on Monday. 2018 will be another record year for the Port of Antwerp. According to figures released by the Antwerp Port Company on Friday morning tonnage this year will be 5.1% up on 2017.
The rise is evident in all types of cargo. However, it is most pronounced with regard to container traffic. 130 million tonnes of container freight will have passed through Antwerp by the end of the year, 5.8% more that was the case last year. Tonnage of Fluids and dry bulk goods grew by 4.5% and 5% respectively. Meanwhile, break bulk cargo tonnage has risen by 1.8%.
In addition to a rise in tonnage, the Port Company also reports a “wave of investment” totaling 2.3 billion euro over the past year.
A large portion of this was in companies in the chemical cluster, including Borealis’ 1 billion euro investment in a new propylene factory.