BELGIUM's Port of Antwerp-Bruges reported a 6.8 per cent drop in its year-on-year nine-month volumes, citing unstable geopolitical and economic conditions that negatively affected container traffic.
Antwerp-Bruges handled 9.5 million TEU in the January through September period, increasing its market share among northern range ports by one percentage point to 30.6 per cent. But the volume figure was down from 8.8 million TEU in the year-ago period.
There has been little sign of improvement in North European import volume from Asia, with the latest figures from Container Trades Statistics (CTS) showing headhaul volume from January to August flat at 10.6 million TEU.
The falling volume at Europe's second-largest port, after Rotterdam, mirrors a similar decline at its larger rival, which reported its third straight quarter of negative growth this week.
Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said economic and geopolitical concerns have been visible in the port's figures for several quarters, and he gave a bleak assessment of the year to date and the last quarter.
'The indicators do not yet show any improvement for the near future, and container throughput will still be impacted in the fourth quarter by cancelled voyages from the Far East,' he said.
'Despite the fact that our throughput is falling less than the average in the Hamburg-Le Havre range and we are gaining market share, we will have to face the fact that 2023 will not be a top year,' he said.
SeaNews Turkey
Antwerp-Bruges handled 9.5 million TEU in the January through September period, increasing its market share among northern range ports by one percentage point to 30.6 per cent. But the volume figure was down from 8.8 million TEU in the year-ago period.
There has been little sign of improvement in North European import volume from Asia, with the latest figures from Container Trades Statistics (CTS) showing headhaul volume from January to August flat at 10.6 million TEU.
The falling volume at Europe's second-largest port, after Rotterdam, mirrors a similar decline at its larger rival, which reported its third straight quarter of negative growth this week.
Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said economic and geopolitical concerns have been visible in the port's figures for several quarters, and he gave a bleak assessment of the year to date and the last quarter.
'The indicators do not yet show any improvement for the near future, and container throughput will still be impacted in the fourth quarter by cancelled voyages from the Far East,' he said.
'Despite the fact that our throughput is falling less than the average in the Hamburg-Le Havre range and we are gaining market share, we will have to face the fact that 2023 will not be a top year,' he said.
SeaNews Turkey