BELGIUM's Port of Antwerp posted a 4.3 per cent year-on-year increase in total cargo throughput to 199 million tonnes 2014, saying the increase was driven by 4.7 per cent gain in container volume to 8.9 million TEU.
Antwerp also enjoyed a 5.6 per cent increase in liquid bulk, despite a two per cent drop in conventional breakbulk and a 6.1 per cent decline in dry bulk.
Gains came with 62.8 million tons of liquid bulk, with petroleum derivatives rising 6.8 per cent to 46 million tonnes, crude oil up 6.5 per cent to 4.9 million tonnes and chemicals increasing 1.5 per cent to 11 million tonnes.
But dry bulk was down with coal falling 34.9 per cent to 1.4 million tonnes. Ro-ro decreased two per cent to 4.4 million tonnes, and the number of cars fell 8.1 per cent to one million units. Conventional breakbulk, too, was down by two to 9.8 million tonnes.
Antwerp reports that 1.5 per cent fewer ships called in 2014 than in the year before, a total of 14,009, although tonnage increased 1.7 per cent by 335 gross tonnes.
The number of ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) calling increased by 68 per cent year-on-year to 266. In particular, 82 more vessels of 13,000 TEU or more called at the port.