The Belgian port of Antwerp is one of Europe’s most connected to the United States, which recently announced a 30% tariff on products coming from the Old Continent. “Importers in the US and exporters in Europe are adopting a wait-and-see approach and will continue to do so given the current uncertainty”, a spokesperson from the port told RailFreight.com.
The impact of this economic unpredictability was already felt in the first quarter of 2025 for Europe’s second largest port. “Containerised exports to the US were only up 1.1% in Q1-2 2025 and were even 1% down in Q2”, the spokesperson said. With the wait-and-see approach mentioned, these somewhat stagnating trends are likely to remain.
Bulk cargo decline and congestion
The current conditions and latest developments led to a slight decrease (-4.3%) in the port’s total throughput in the first half of 2025, with 137,2 million tonnes. Bulk cargo was the main factor, with decreases in liquid, dry and conventional breakbulk. The port did not provide more specific data regarding rail freight or intermodal volumes in H1 2025, but said that the share of rail freight at the port in 2024 was 7%.
Moreover, the port, just like many others in northwestern Europe, had to deal with significant congestion. “As long as container volumes remain high and logistical chains remain disrupted, congestion will persist. This applies to all ports in Northwest Europe. There is no reserve capacity anywhere. The summer months will be particularly intense because traditionally less dock labor is available”, the spokesperson explained.
Small growth for container and RoRo
A few positives came from containerised traffic. Despite the stagnation regarding traffic to the US, total traffic reached 6.91 million TEUs, a 3.7% growth compared to the same period last year. RoRo traffic also posted minor growth with 1%. “Although fewer new cars were shipped, this was offset by growth in truck, high & heavy equipment, and second-hand vehicle volumes”, the port said in a press release.