With a growth of 5.2% in 2018 compared to previous year, the Port of Antwerp has confirmed the earlier forecasts for a 6th consecutive year record.

"The confirmation of the port's attractiveness and the consolidation of its position as a global player and the largest integrated European chemical cluster are essential to the continuity of its role as the largest economic engine of Belgium. Below you will find the final annual figures for 2018," said a press release from the Europe’s second-largest seaport.

The total transhipment in 2018 was 235.2 million tonnes, a new record, with unprecedented growth in all cargotypes, it said.

The strong growth in container traffic continued to 130.9 million tonnes (+6.4%) or 11.1 million TEU (+6.2%). All trades recorded growth, both in supply and export, with the only exception of supplies from the Middle East and Latin America, which showed a slight decrease.

The total breakbulk transhipment shows a slightly positive figure with a growth of 1%. The RoRo cargo grew by 5.4% to 5.3 million tonnes. The number of shipped passenger cars increased by 4.7% to just under 1.3 million.

Whereas conventional breakbulk recorded a loss of 2.7% after 9 months compared to the same period in 2017, this was limited on an annual basis to a loss of 1.1% for a transhipment of 10.16 million tonnes. The reason for this is a strong performance in both the supply and removal of iron and steel, which grew by 3.5% and 3.4% respectively.

In 2018, 14,595 seagoing vessels (+2.6%) called at Antwerp. The gross tonnage of these ships increased by 3% to 418,838,751 GT.