Capacity at the port of Antwerp is already maxed out, so a merger with the nearby port of Zeebrugge could provide some relief when the expected wave of cargoes arrives once COVID-19 measures are lifted in China.
Container supply chain disruption and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has left Rotterdam and Antwerp unable to match the volume growth experienced in last year’s first quarter.
Container shipping’s global group has objected to proposed amendments in Europe’s emissions trading system that it believes undermine the polluter-pays principle.
Rotterdam and Antwerp enjoyed a solid nine-month performance, but ongoing European port congestion continues to cause significant disruption to regional supply chains.
The first quarter was a good one for Rotterdam and Antwerp, but with terminals fully stretched as the ports face operational challenges in the weeks ahead.
The pandemic-disrupted 2020 was a year of two halves for Europe’s hub ports such as Rotterdam, where demand fell sharply in the first six months before rebounding strongly over the rest of the year.