<p data-path-to-node="5" id="p-rc_4cf42900393cfaaa-197" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans Text&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;"><span class="citation-509" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Facing a mix of regional economic challenges and severe local supply chain bottlenecks, the </span><b data-path-to-node="5" data-index-in-node="111" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Port of Antwerp-Bruges</b><span class="citation-509" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"> has reported a drop in cargo performance for the first half of 2026. The premier European gateway handled </span><b data-path-to-node="5" data-index-in-node="240" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">133.9 million tonnes of maritime cargo</b><span class="citation-509" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">, representing a </span><b data-path-to-node="5" data-index-in-node="295" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">2.4% decline</b><span class="citation-509 citation-end-509" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"> compared to the exceptionally strong first half of last year.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c4005802210="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c4005802210="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="1" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span><sources-carousel-inline ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c2266288218="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"> <source-inline-chip _ngcontent-ng-c2266288218="" _nghost-ng-c1314756707="" class="ng-star-inserted" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><!----><!----><!----><!----><!----></source-inline-chip><!----><!----><!----></sources-carousel-inline></p><p data-path-to-node="6" id="p-rc_4cf42900393cfaaa-198" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans Text&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;"><span class="citation-508 citation-end-508" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Port authorities identified falling container throughput as the primary driver behind the lower freight numbers, reflecting a wider economic slowdown hitting industrial markets across Western Europe.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c4005802210="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c4005802210="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="2" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span><sources-carousel-inline ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c2266288218="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"> <source-inline-chip _ngcontent-ng-c2266288218="" _nghost-ng-c1314756707="" class="ng-star-inserted" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><!----><!----><!----><!----><!----></source-inline-chip><!----><!----><!----></sources-carousel-inline></p><h3 data-path-to-node="8" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="8" data-index-in-node="0" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans Text&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;">Triple Blow of Strikes and Oil Spills Drain Over 260,000 TEU from Shipping Loops</b></h3><p data-path-to-node="9" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans Text&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;">A series of unexpected local operational shutdowns significantly impacted the port’s container yards during the six-month period:</p><ul data-path-to-node="10" style="padding-inline-start: 32px; font-family: &quot;Google Sans Text&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;"><li style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><p data-path-to-node="10,0,0" id="p-rc_4cf42900393cfaaa-199" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="10,0,0" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Severe Operational Disruptions:</b> <span class="citation-507" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Container throughput dipped by </span><b data-path-to-node="10,0,0" data-index-in-node="63" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">1.5% in TEUs</b><span class="citation-507" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"> and </span><b data-path-to-node="10,0,0" data-index-in-node="80" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">3.6% in total weight</b><span class="citation-507 citation-end-507" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c4005802210="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c4005802210="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="3" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span> <span class="citation-506 citation-end-506" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">A combination of three independent incidents dragged down numbers: a four-day logistics chain strike in March cost roughly 100,000 TEU, a major oil spill at the Deurganck dock in April erased another 85,000 TEU, and June industrial actions by maritime pilots added a 75,000 TEU loss.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c4005802210="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c4005802210="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="4" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span><sources-carousel-inline ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c2266288218="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"> <source-inline-chip _ngcontent-ng-c2266288218="" _nghost-ng-c1314756707="" class="ng-star-inserted" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><!----><!----><!----><!----><!----></source-inline-chip><!----><!----><!----></sources-carousel-inline></p></li><li style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><p data-path-to-node="10,1,0" id="p-rc_4cf42900393cfaaa-200" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Widening Trade Imbalance:</b> <span class="citation-505" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Loaded container exports dropped </span><b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="59" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">5.7%</b><span class="citation-505 citation-end-505" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">, highlighting weak industrial and consumer demand coming out of European production centers.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c4005802210="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c4005802210="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="5" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span> <span class="citation-504" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">In contrast, empty container traffic jumped </span><b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="201" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">13.7%</b><span class="citation-504 citation-end-504" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">, indicating a massive spatial imbalance between incoming import containers and available return freight.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c4005802210="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c4005802210="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="6" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span><sources-carousel-inline ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c2266288218="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"> <source-inline-chip _ngcontent-ng-c2266288218="" _nghost-ng-c1314756707="" class="ng-star-inserted" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><!----><!----><!----><!----><!----></source-inline-chip><!----><!----><!----></sources-carousel-inline></p></li><li style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><p data-path-to-node="10,2,0" id="p-rc_4cf42900393cfaaa-201" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="10,2,0" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Geopolitical Rerouting Pressures:</b> The ongoing security crisis in West Asia drastically reshaped ocean liner loops. <span class="citation-503" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Direct imports from Persian Gulf terminals fell by </span><b data-path-to-node="10,2,0" data-index-in-node="166" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">57%</b><span class="citation-503 citation-end-503" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">, resulting in a net cargo loss of roughly 2.2 million tonnes as shipping lines bypassed high-risk routes in favor of alternative Mediterranean and Red Sea hubs.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c4005802210="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c4005802210="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="7" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span><sources-carousel-inline ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c2266288218="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"> <source-inline-chip _ngcontent-ng-c2266288218="" _nghost-ng-c1314756707="" class="ng-star-inserted" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><!----><!----><!----><!----><!----></source-inline-chip><!----><!----><!----></sources-carousel-inline></p></li><li style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><p data-path-to-node="10,3,0" id="p-rc_4cf42900393cfaaa-202" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="10,3,0" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Resilience in Alternative Segments:</b> <span class="citation-502 citation-end-502" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">While containers and conventional general cargo (down 11.7%) struggled, other terminal assets performed well.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c4005802210="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c4005802210="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="8" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span> <span class="citation-501" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"></span><b data-path-to-node="10,3,0" data-index-in-node="146" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) volumes grew 5.9%</b><span class="citation-501 citation-end-501" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">, driven by a 7.7% increase in new vehicles.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c4005802210="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c4005802210="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="9" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span> <span class="citation-500" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">This vehicle growth was led by a massive </span><b data-path-to-node="10,3,0" data-index-in-node="273" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">25.5% surge in new automotive shipments arriving from China</b><span class="citation-500 citation-end-500" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c4005802210="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c4005802210="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="10" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span> <span class="citation-499 citation-end-499" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Liquid bulk also remained stable, supported by a 31.3% increase in industrial naphtha imports.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c4005802210="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c4005802210="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="11" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span><sources-carousel-inline ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c2266288218="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"></sources-carousel-inline></p></li></ul>