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Antwerp is on the brink
The Belgian gateway to Europe remains on an optimistic note.
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."