In the first quarter of 2024, the port system of Antwerp-Zeebrugge handled a freight traffic of 70.4 million tonnes, with an increase of +2.4% on the same period of last year that was generated by the growth of the of containerised traffic, which, at 36.8 million tonnes, recorded an increase of +8.6%. In terms of 20 containers feet moved, container traffic was equal to to 3.3 million TEUs (+6.0%). In the first three months of this year, the liquid bulk traffic has remained almost stable at 22.8 million tonnes (-0.9%), while there has been a significant decrease in the trafficking of dry bulk with 3.5 million tonnes (-12.1%), of cargo conventional with 2.3 million tonnes (-7.8%) and rolling stock with 5.0 million tonnes (-6.9%). New car traffic is state of 860 thousand vehicles (-5.5%).

With regard to the general traffic trend in the first quarter of this year, the Port System Authority Belgian specified that containerised traffic is started to grow again in February and in March it scored the best Monthly result since March 2021. The body specified that the conventional freight traffic, although down by -7.8%, showed an improvement having increased by +6.9% compared to to the last quarter of 2023.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of the extraordinary European Council of two Days on the Economy and Competitiveness opened today in Brussels and taking place at the same time in Antwerp of the European Green Steel Industry Summit 2024, the of the Port of Antwerp-Zeebrugge, the North Sea Port, Duisburger Hafen and the Rotterdam Port Authority, pointing out that Manufacturing industry in the triangle between the ports Flemish-Dutch and the Ruhr region of Germany is responsible for a large part of European production, have invited European government leaders to support the industry at this stage energy transition. "High-intensity businesses energy - recalled the authorities of these systems port authorities - face much higher costs in Europe and other parts of the world and have to cope with laws and more complex regulations. And in the United States, the massif The Inflation Reduction Act's support package is making it more attractive for companies to invest in the necessary renovation of the Country. If governments do nothing in response to this, the investments in sustainability in Europe will stop and the industry will move out of Europe. Plants will therefore be kept operational for as long as possible possible as they get older and will eventually be shut down. That means more imports from non-European countries with negative climate impacts, our strategic autonomy and well-being."

"More and more people - continues the note from the ports Belgium, the Netherlands and the Germans - suggest that, if it is necessary to spend more money, maybe it would be better to lose the industry rather than than to safeguard it. We understand their doubts. The industry is not free from some disadvantages and will not stop using fossil resources and emit CO2 overnight. That It requires a transition and maximum commitment from everyone. There We hope that the industry will be able to do so in a timely manner. Europe: after all, it provides crucial support to our ports, together with logistics and the energy sectors. These sectors represent around €63 billion of added value and more half a million jobs. That's why the leaders of the European governments need to combine climate and industrial policies in their five-year plan, as recently highlighted by the European companies in the "Antwerp Declaration for an Agreement on the European industrial industry". We maintain healthy competition and Let's strengthen our cooperation on the energy transition."