THE Belgium port of Antwerp saw container throughput rise by 6.4 per cent in the first nine months of the year to reach 8.87 million TEU, mainly on the back of growth in transhipment volumes.
Import and export volumes also increased, and all trading regions barring Latin America achieved growth.
Antwerp also benefited from adjustments to Mediterranean Shipping Company's (MSC) feeder network, a network of smaller ships that take on freight from larger units in the port for onward transport, reported UK's Container Management.
As of the third quarter, two new services to Latin America provided additional imports of reefer loads from Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Costa Rica.
Port of Antwerp CEO Jacques Vandermeirend was quoted as saying: 'The uncertainty in world trade has not yet had any impact on our container volume. In fact it is continuing to expand, thus further consolidating our world leadership position. As a consequence, we are continuing to develop additional freight transport to the hinterland by rail and barge.'
The slowdown in the world economy lowered the growth rate of more volatile trade flows such as conventional breakbulk, liquid bulk and vehicles, the port authority pointed out.
However, the volume of dry bulk such as scrap metal, minerals and coal rose by 9.5 per cent.
Total roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) volume declined by 2.1 per cent, while the number of new cars handled fell by 10 per cent, partly due to the decreasing volume of new car exports in the third quarter.
WORLD SHIPPING
Import and export volumes also increased, and all trading regions barring Latin America achieved growth.
Antwerp also benefited from adjustments to Mediterranean Shipping Company's (MSC) feeder network, a network of smaller ships that take on freight from larger units in the port for onward transport, reported UK's Container Management.
As of the third quarter, two new services to Latin America provided additional imports of reefer loads from Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Costa Rica.
Port of Antwerp CEO Jacques Vandermeirend was quoted as saying: 'The uncertainty in world trade has not yet had any impact on our container volume. In fact it is continuing to expand, thus further consolidating our world leadership position. As a consequence, we are continuing to develop additional freight transport to the hinterland by rail and barge.'
The slowdown in the world economy lowered the growth rate of more volatile trade flows such as conventional breakbulk, liquid bulk and vehicles, the port authority pointed out.
However, the volume of dry bulk such as scrap metal, minerals and coal rose by 9.5 per cent.
Total roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) volume declined by 2.1 per cent, while the number of new cars handled fell by 10 per cent, partly due to the decreasing volume of new car exports in the third quarter.
WORLD SHIPPING