2020: uptick in reefer market
The reefer market saw a global upswing in 2020, with a worldwide average growth of 3%-4%. The increased volume of reefer containers in the Belgian port of Antwerp last year is partly due to the increased demand for healthy foodstuffs and pharmaceutical products.
In 2020, the port handled a total volume of 1 million teu reefer containers, a 10.5% growth compared to 2019. Growth was substantial in both imports and exports. The trend is clear. Now, about 8% of all containers handled at the port are reefer containers, compared with 7.3% in 2019.
Sharing knowledge with Latin America cold chain players is a part of the port's commercial strategy which has launched a series of webinars for its fellow sectors in countries such as Peru, Colombia and Ecuador in 2020. (cd)