As in the previous two quarters, also in the period July-September of this year the traffic of goods handled from the port of Antwerp-Bruges recorded a year-on-year decline that has caused, in addition to the continuation of the negative trend in the bulk sector, also from the reduction in cargo volumes containerized. In the third quarter of 2025, the port system handled a total of 65.4 million tonnes of with a decrease of -2.8% on the same period last year year. In the general cargo sector, container traffic is amounted to 36.5 million tonnes (-4.2%) and was built with a container handling of 3.4 million TEU (-2.4%), while conventional freight traffic showed a recovery of +8.0% rising to 2.7 million tons. The movement of new cars fell by -1.1%, which was equal to 692 thousand vehicles. In the liquid bulk segment, 17.6 million tonnes (-4.9%) were handled and in that of dry bulk 3.3 million tons (-5.7%). In cruise traffic also decreased, which recorded the 56 cruise ship berths compared to 61 in the third quarter of 2010. 2024.

In the first nine months of 2025, total freight traffic was 202.6 million tonnes, with a reduction of -3.8% on the same period of last year, which was was determined by the -12.8% contraction in bulk volumes partially offset by the +1.3% increase in miscellaneous goods. In In the latter sector, container traffic has been to 113.5 million tons (+1.1%) with a handling of containers equal to 10.3 million TEUs (+1.6%). The Port Authority Belgian has announced that containerized traffic with the Extreme The East increased by +4.1% driven by both growth and of imports (+3.2%) and exports (+4.8%), even if exports of full containers fell by -2.8% while those of empty containers increased by +15.6% to report - highlighted the body - the weakness of European exports. In the segment of conventional goods, where 7.5 million were handled of tons (+0.3%), imports increased by +2.4% while exports decreased by -13.8% mainly due to due to the reduction in exports to the USA and Mexico. The China's steel imports have risen to 400,000 tons (+46%), those from India amounted to 440 thousand tons (-30%), those from Turkey to 402 thousand tons (+138%) and those from South Korea at 397 thousand tons (+13.7%). The traffic of other conventional goods increased by +18.4% thanks to higher volumes of fruit (+11%), steel (+23%) and other cargo (+25%), while the products decreased slightly (-4%). Ro-ro traffic has increased by +3.3%, while the movement of new vehicles, with a total of over 2.3 million vehicles, is slightly down by -0.9%. The port authority specified that the car imports from China have grown significantly (+19.7%), overtaking Japan as the main country of origin, and Imports of trucks also increased sharply (+7.7%), heavy and large equipment (+5.1%) and used vehicles (+53.0%).

In the first nine months of 2025, there were 10.1 dry bulk cargo million tons (-8.9%). Fertilizers remained relatively stable (-1.1%) with imports - he specified the Port Authority - which increased by +12.9%, due to the doubling of Russian shipments in anticipation of new EU tariffs on to which has been added an increasing share from countries of origin such as Morocco, while exports, which account for two-thirds of fertilizer traffic, are decreased by -8.9% due to the lower incidence of shipments to Turkey, Italy and various markets in Africa and Latin America. Between Positive outliers include scrap (+9.2%) and kaolin (+24.7%), while coal (-44.5%), sand and gravel (-13.2%), other building materials (-10.9%) and minerals non-ferrous (-4.1%).

In the liquid bulk sector, the total was 55.9 million tons (-13.5%). Petroleum derivatives, which represent 62% of this segment, have decreased by -18% to Cause of the loss of gasoline exports to Africa as a result of stricter European regulations and lower imports from the United Kingdom. Only kerosene recorded strong growth (+77%). Energy gases (propane and butane) are increased by +12.6%, while naphtha (-25.3%) and liquefied natural gas (-15.1%). Trafficking in chemicals is remained stable (+1.9%) largely thanks to biofuels (+41.7%), net of which the volume of chemical products was down -4.3% due to a European chemical sector - explained the Port Authority - which continues to suffer the pressure from high energy costs, Chinese dumping and weak demand.

In the period January-September of this year, traffic cruise was over 392 thousand passengers (-4.9%) 139 cruise ships on board, four fewer than last year year.