The downward trend in the volume of freight traffic from the port of Antwerp-Zeebrugge started in the summer of 2022 continued in the last quarter of last year year, a period in which the total was 66.9 million tonnes, down -3.8% on the fourth quarter of 2022. To with the exception of liquid bulk cargo, which, with 22.5 million tonnes, remained stable, all other types of cargo decreased. In the container sector, traffic is 34.1 million tonnes (-2.5%) and was made with a container handling of about three million TEUs (-8.7%). In addition, in the miscellaneous goods sector, 5.0 million tonnes of rolling stock were handled (-6.9%) and 2.2 million tonnes of conventional goods (-19.4%). The Dry bulk cargo amounted to 3.6 million tonnes (-28.6%).

In 2023 as a whole, the global volume of goods increased 271.3 million tonnes, a reduction of -5.5% over the previous year. In the miscellaneous goods segment, 137.2 million tons of containerized cargo handled (-6.3%) with container handling of 12.5 million TEU (-7.2%), 21.0 million tonnes of rolling stock (-2.1%) and 10.0 million tonnes million tonnes of conventional goods (-18.8%). The handling of new factory cars was almost 3.6 million vehicles (+9.0%). Liquid bulk totaled 88.7 million tonnes (-2.1%) and dry 14.8 million tonnes. tonnes (-13.9%).