A Global Plan for the global port
Provisional freight volume for 2009: 158 million tonnes

Antwerp, 30 December 2009


After seven record years in a row the port of Antwerp experienced a drop in freight volume due to the economic recession, so that the final result for the year is expected to be around 158 million tonnes. Despite the recession, however, the year brought several positive developments. One of these was the new Scheldt navigation regulations, enabling the largest container carriers to reach Antwerp more quickly and easily.

Just as for most other European ports, 2009 was a year of contraction in freight volume for Antwerp. Nevertheless, Antwerp managed to maintain its status as the second-largest port in Europe, and it has now also positioned itself as the second port for container handling. A forecast of the final figure for the volume of freight handled in 2009 puts the total at 158 million tonnes. This is down by 31.5 million tonnes or 16.7% compared with the previous year. At just over 100 million tonnes, the amount of general cargo handled in the port was down by about 18% compared with 2008. Conventional general cargo with 10.3 million tonnes was responsible for a sharp drop in this segment, having lost 6.6 million tonnes (39.4%). This also had repercussions on port employment, as handling this type of freight is very labour-intensive. Accordingly, unemployment among dockers was the highest it had been in the past 15 years.

The container volume stabilised after the first quarter, with the final figure being estimated at 87 million tonnes (down 14.1%). There was a significant shift in trade in this segment in particular, with shipping companies cutting entire loops and using fewer and above all larger vessels. Against this background the new regulations for upstream and downstream navigation on the Scheldt are important confirmation of Antwerp’s accessibility. The new regulations were given final approval by the Permanent Commission for Supervision of Scheldt Navigation on 9 December. As many as 30 of the very largest container carriers called at Antwerp during the trial period that ran from 7 April to the middle of November. The deepening of the navigation channel in the Western Scheldt will further strengthen Antwerp’s position in future. “We expect the dredging work to go ahead in January or February, as soon as the Dutch Council of State has reached its decision,” said Port Authority Chairman Marc Van Peel and CEO Eddy Bruyninckx.

Bulk freight is expected to finish the year with 57.3 million tonnes, down 14% on the previous year. The decrease is entirely due to dry bulk. There were significant decreases in particular in coal (down 36%) and ore (down 65%), mainly due to the crisis in the steel industry. Liquid bulk, in particular petrochemical products, remained very stable (up 0.9%), supporting Antwerp's position as the world's second-largest petrochemical cluster.

Antwerp Port Authority took a number of measures at the beginning of 2009 in support of port users. These included cashflow management measures and freezing of the port dues at their 2008 level. These preemptive measures were extended in the second half of 2009: the port dues and concession fees are being kept at their 2009 level in 2010, which in practice means that most rates will stay at their 2008 level. Further, in order to combat loss of freight volume and dock employment in the general cargo sector, a tariff reduction of 10% for this category was approved in principle: the Port Authority board of directors asks in return that employers and unions alike should make efforts to improve the efficiency of dock labour.

And so, on to the period after the recession ...

Business Plan 2009-2013
The Port Authority has set down its ambitions for the coming years in a 2009-2013 Business Plan that will be submitted to the Flemish government in accordance with the Ports Decree. The port seeks to excel in vitality, efficiency, sustainability and consensus, and to become the leading port in Europe for general cargo (conventional and containerised).

A Global Plan for the global port
Together with the private port community and the employees’ organisations a project has been launched for a more competitive port.
The basis of the plan was laid at the Port Authority board meeting of 17 November, a seminar at Alfaport on 24 November and the consultative meeting of 16 December. At the appropriate time the plan will be referred to the general assembly of the Antwerp port community.

This press release is based on provisional statistics. The final figures will be announced at a press conference in the second half of January.

Antwerp Port Authority, press release