Container volume decline at Port of Antwerp highlights need for more capacity

A drop in container volumes at the Port of Antwerp during Q1 2022 underscores the need for extra container capacity and confirms the importance of the port’s merger with Zeebrugge.

Total throughput at Antwerp during this period amounted to 58.3m metric tonnes, a drop of 1.5% compared with Q1 of 2021, while container volumes fell nearly 12% compared to the same period.

Annick De Ridder, vice mayor of the City of Antwerp and president of the Port of Antwerp, said: “The economic urgency for additional container capacity is demonstrated again and more than ever by these declining figures and congestion problems. Extra container capacity is indispensable to secure our position as a world port.”