Antwerp-Bruges Cargo Volume Falls 0.8% but Container Traffic Rebounds in Third Quarter

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges handled 200.9 million tonnes of cargo between January and September 2026, a 0.8% decline compared to the same period in 2025. Despite this overall drop, container traffic showed a strong recovery, with the third quarter of 2026 becoming the best since the fourth quarter of 2020.

The first half of the year was marked by adverse weather conditions, strikes across the nautical chain, and an oil spill at the Deurganck dock. In mid-July, a damaged container carrying hydrofluoric acid once again brought operations to a halt at the same site, delaying the recovery until August.

From August onward, volumes strengthened, and container traffic grew 1.2% in TEUs during the first nine months of the year, although in tonnage terms it remained 0.6% below the 2025 level. Growth was concentrated in empty containers, which rose 11.7% in TEUs, while laden containers fell 1.3%, reflecting higher import volumes against weaker exports and the need to reposition empty units to Asia.

The conflict in the Middle East also disrupted cargo flows: since March, no LNG cargoes have arrived from Qatar, and since mid-May diesel supplies from the region have been interrupted. Shipping lines adjusted schedules and developed alternative routes, which caused a 70% drop in container exports to the Persian Gulf, while exports to other parts of the Middle East nearly quintupled.

Liquid bulk remained under pressure due to lower volumes of petroleum products, chemicals and LNG, amid weak European industrial demand and high energy prices. Conventional breakbulk cargo fell 16.6%, driven by a 17.5% decline in iron and steel due to European quotas, CBAM, and high energy costs, although fruit and vegetables grew 7.6%. RoRo traffic rose 5.5%, boosted by new car volumes (+9.3%), mainly from China and Japan, and dry bulk increased 13% on higher iron ore volumes, while fertilizers fell 1.1%.

Rob Smeets, CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, highlighted the port's resilience amid a complex operating environment marked by trade barriers and high energy prices. Johan Klaps, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Antwerp port alderman, pointed to India's potential as a key market following the free trade agreement with the EU, while Dirk De fauw, Vice-Chairman of the Board and Mayor of Bruges, stressed that the complementarity between Antwerp and Zeebrugge ensures the port's resilience amid a shifting global landscape.