The container volume in TEU expanded by 4.4% to 5.05 million TEU while liquid bulk grew even more, by 8.4%, confirming its position as a leading source of growth in the port of Antwerp.
The first half year saw significantly more ultra-large container carriers calling at Antwerp. Whereas the total after the first six months of 2015 stood at 146, this year the equivalent figure was 242, up by 66%. The growth in the category of 13,000 TEU or more was even more spectacular, at 78%.
The number of cars handled rose by 1.3% to 620,332. The ro/ro volume for its part declined by 3.7% to 2.35 million tonnes. The volume of conventional breakbulk was also down, by 1.7%, to 4,752,222 tonnes, despite an increased volume of steel (up 12.3% to 3,748,613 tonnes). The lower volume of paper and pulp also weighed on the handling figures.
The fruit volume remained stable, although there was an increase in the amount of containerised fruit.
