Antwerp is on the brink
Throughput in the first quarter of 2020 compensated the decline in April. The Port of Antwerp's total cargo traffic increased by 0.4% in the first four months of this year compared to the same period in 2019. Container flows show an annual growth of 6.1% in teu, yet consequences of cancelled sailings will continue to be felt in the rest of the second quarter.
Break bulk handling went down by 15.7% in April, and 29.1% in the first trimester of 2020. Ro-ro throughput decreased by 16.2% in the period January-April compared to the same period last year. Dry bulk also continued its decline, while throughput in the liquid bulk segment will fall by 2.5% in 2020.
The port's outlook on the future is gloomy: "Despite a weaker month in April, the port still manages to hold its own regarding freight transhipment. The impact of a drop in demand due to the corona crisis will be felt even more in the coming months."