Port of Antwerp-Bruges climbs to 13th place in world ranking of largest container ports

The Flanders-based port of Antwerp-Bruges has climbed one place in the world ranking of largest container ports during the last six months. The port went from 14th to 13th place, overtaking Port Kelang, the main gateway to Malaysia.

"And yet it is clear that additional container capacity is absolutely necessary in order to ensure our position as a world port and economic hub of Belgium", the port authority responded to the news. "We have been a global player in the container segment for years. This 13th place confirms that. We did, however, face persistent congestion problems in the container segment in recent months."

There are no changes in the top ten, figures provided by the French agency Alphaliner indicate. Shanghai and Singapore still stand out neatly at the top. China (Ningbo) and New York, in particular, are notching up strong growth in terms of container throughput. After the top ten, however, there are some changes - although Rotterdam remains at eleven.

"We have been a global player in the container segment for years. This 13th place confirms that. We did, however, face persistent congestion problems in the container segment."

Due to the poor results of Port Kelang in Malaysia (-7,4 percent) in recent months, Antwerp-Bruges may benefit despite a decline (-6,3 percent) in container handling, measured in the so-called 'teu' (Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit, ed.).

According to port magazine Flows, the Belgian port's higher ranking is also a result of the merger between Antwerp and Zeebrugge a few months ago. The port authority could not comment on this - although it does indicate that it now has more space available.

(BRV)

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