Antwerp record

The figure represents a new record year for Antwerp, beating the previous record from 2008, the last year before the global financial crisis. The main driving force behind the growth in volume was liquid bulk, with the container volume being slightly down as a result of the continuing recession.

The number of seagoing ships calling at the port was 14,207, a decrease of 2.4% compared with the previous year but the tonnage rose by 3.8% to 330,459,546gt. The number of ULCS (Ultra-Large Container Ships of 10,000 TEU or more) is expected to be 197 for the year, some 30 more than the previous year. The growth has been particularly significant in the category of 13,000+ TEU vessels, with no fewer than 31 of these giant container carriers calling at the port. Moreover, the test trip by the Mary Maersk in mid-October demonstrated that Antwerp is perfectly accessible to vessels in the 18,000+ TEU category.