During the first half of 2026, cargo throughput in Belgium’s largest seaport decreased by 2.4 per cent. Over half a year, Antwerp and Zeebrugge handled just under 134 million tonnes of maritime goods. Meanwhile, the market share of containers remains stable.
Aside from the traditional geopolitical tensions and trade conflicts that the port authority points to as reasons for the declining figures, other issues are emerging once again. The downturn is further exacerbated by what is described as “extraordinary operational disruptions”.
In March of this year, there was a four-day strike in the maritime chain. This led to an estimated loss of 100,000 TEU, the standard measure for containers. A month later, there was an oil spill in the Deurganck dock. That spill caused an additional loss of approximately 85,000 TEU. Finally, in June, pilot actions caused disruptions and an estimated loss of 75,000 TEU. For comparison, the 134 million tonnes handled is equivalent to about 9 million TEU.
The initial translation of this content was generated by AI. All facts, context, and language have subsequently been verified and validated by a human editorial team.
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