Port of Antwerp felt economic crisis in 2009
The global financial and economic crisis leaves its traces in the transport statistics of the Belgian seaport Antwerp. According to the preliminary figures the total volume of importations and exportations handled in 2009 amounts to 158 million tons. This is a year-on-year decline of 16.7 per cent. The port registered significant decreases in ore (down 65 per cent), coal (down 36 per cent) and conventional general cargo (down 39.4 per cent). The container segment lost around 14 per cent, with the final figure being estimated at 87 million tons. In total 100.7 million tonnes (down 18 per cent) were handled in the port. Bulk freight business decreased by 14 per cent to 57.3 million tons, whereas the volume of petrochemical products was up 0.9 per cent. Quelle: Österreichische Verkehrszeitung |