Tuesday, July 15, 2025
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Port of Antwerp experiences strong half year

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The strong performance during the half year was mainly due to the impressive growth in container freight (up 9.5% in TEU and 7.4% in tonnage) and in liquid bulk (also up 7.4%). However, the conventional breakbulk volume lagged behind the overall growth. The container volume expressed as the number of standard boxes handled (twenty-foot equivalent units) rose by 9.5% during the first six months, to 4,836,243 TEU. Expressed in tonnes it amounted to 57,501,825 tonnes (up 7.4%). The formation of an alliance between several container shipping companies has clearly acted in favour of Antwerp. This made itself felt in particular in trade to and from the Far East, resulting in a sharp growth in the container volume handled in the Deurganck dock (up 28.2%). It is expected that when the MSC shipping company moves its operations from the Delwaide dock to the Deurganck dock the growth in the latter will continue to be strong. Nevertheless the Port Authority underlines the importance of having the first phase of the new container handling capacity below the locks becoming operational by 2021. Lock passage and the capacity behind the locks are no longer viewed as appropriate by companies that operate the very largest container carriers, more and more of which are expected to enter service in the near future.

The ro/ro volume for its part was up by 3.9% to 2,436,890 tonnes, although the number of cars handled fell by 9.6% to 581,458. Conventional breakbulk on the other hand was down by 3.9%. At the end of the first six months the volume handled stood at 4,832,961 tonnes. The iron and steel volume rose slightly, up 1.3% to 3,336,782 tonnes. The decline in the breakbulk segment is due to the fall in the volume of fruit.

The liquid bulk volume rose during the past six months by 7.4% to 32,667,400 tonnes. Handling of oil derivatives did well, up 2.8% to 23,004,129 tonnes, but chemicals were the N° 1 grower, rising by 32% to 7,237,817 tonnes.

The amount of dry bulk handled expanded by 3.2% to 7,090,166 tonnes after the first half year. Handling of sand and gravel did particularly well, rising by 54.2% to 996,204 tonnes. On the other hand the coal volume fell by 1.5% to 827,353 tonnes, reversing the gains of the first quarter.

 

 

ZIM to enhance its Asia-East Med services

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ZIM’s Asia-Med services, which include the well established EMX (East Med Express) and AME (Asia India subcontinent East Med), will be enhanced the with new AME rotation, due to commence July 27th, as follows:

Ningbo-Shanghai-Da Chan Bay-Port Kelang-Cochin-Nhava Sheva-Mundra-Haifa-Ashdod-Alexandria-Mersin-Xiamen

AME will deploy 8 vessels and introduce a significantly improved transit time with a round trip of 56 days compared with 63 days currently. The new rotation includes the following advantages:

· Shorter transit time both
West and East bound (e.g. Shanghai – Ashdod transit time will be improved by 7
days)

· Increased schedule reliability

· Exclusive direct call – Asia – Mersin

· 2 weekly calls to Israel (calling both Haifa and Ashdod)

· Smooth Synchronized connection to ZIM Global and Regional network

Rafael Ben-Ari, ZIM VP Shipping, said: “The improved AME structure offers faster service to our customers in this important trade. We will continue to optimize our services for the benefit of our loyal customers.”

Maersk Line begins weekly service through Jaxport

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The addition of Maersk Line, the world’s No. 1 container shipping company, means nine of the world’s top 10 global container carriers now offer their customers the efficiencies and cost-effectiveness of moving goods into and out of Northeast Florida.

Maersk Line’s TP10 is a new service between the U.S. East Coast and Northern China and South Korea. It offers direct service from Jacksonville to Xingang, Qingdao and Shanghai in China and Busan in South Korea. SSA Marine provides stevedoring services at Blount Island.

Marseille Fos posts first-half growth in all cargo sectors

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Container traffic was up 8% in unit terms to 627,383 teu after strong performances in both harbour areas. The deepsea Fos terminals added 7% for 506,826 teu while the largely intra-Mediterranean flows through Marseille grew 9% to 120,557 teu. Box tonnage of 6MT saw general cargo rise 2% to almost 9.1MT, including 1.88 MT (+2%) from ro-ro and 1.2MT (-14%) from conventional trades.

A continuing fall in crude oil prices led liquid bulks to a 7% improvement on 24.12MT. Crude oil and petroleum products accounted for 22.36MT (+7%), with crude imports up 19% at 13.5MT to meet refinery demand – although refined products were 11% down on 5.58MT after imports fell due to local output. LPG was 17% better with 1.17MT and LNG reduced a 24% Q1 dip by 19 points for 1.99MT. Meanwhile MTBE imports recovered to lift liquid chemicals and agro-products by 7% to 1.76MT.

Dry bulks came back from a slow start to the year to register an 8% six-month increase on 7.3MT. Imports of steel industry raw materials rose 4% to 5MT, driven by production forecasts at the ArcelorMittal plant. Agro-bulks slipped 12% to 0.47MT after a poor cereals season but other bulks soared 31% to 1.8MT. This was due to new cast iron and lime traffic at the Caronte terminal and a new timber trade at the Carfos facility, where two new cranes arrived in June to normalise operations after some nine months of
structural problems with existing equipment.

Passenger throughput was down 3% on 948,000 after ferry numbers dropped 9% to 352,000 – North Africa carryings improved 5% but Corsica figures fell by 13%. Cruise numbers ahead of the peak July-October season rose 1% to 597,000 passengers, with the home port total of 216,000 passengers helped by the arrival of the world’s largest cruiseship, Allure of the Seas, in May.