The ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge will from now on continue their growth trajectory under one name: Port of Antwerp-Bruges. At the extraordinary general meeting of 22 April 2022, the two cities signed the shareholders' agreement of the unified port company. Today, Port of Antwerp-Bruges is sharing the concrete manifestation of its ambition - to become a world port that reconciles economy, people and climate - with the rest of the world.
Large-scale but sustainable ambitions
In February 2021, the City of Antwerp and the City of Bruges announced the launch of the merger process for their respective ports. Following the signing of the shareholders' agreement of the unified port company on 22 April 2022, the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge will operate under one name going forward: Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
Today, this unified port provides no fewer than 74,000 direct and 90,000 indirect jobs and with an added value of nearly €21 billion or 4.5% of Belgian GDP, is by far the largest economic engine in our country. Europe's largest export port, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges will also be the largest throughput port for vehicles, the largest integrated chemical cluster and one of the leading container ports in Europe.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges has the express ambition of becoming the first global port to reconcile economy, people and climate. The unified port plans to further strengthen its position in the international logistics chain, take a leading role in the energy and digital transition, and at the same time create sustainable added value for society as a whole. Not just for the area of Antwerp and Zeebrugge, but also for all possible stakeholders in the wider national and international region.
Strengthening the global position in challenging times
In the current geopolitical and macroeconomic context, the merger is a golden opportunity to put the Antwerp and Zeebrugge port sites, and by extension Flanders, in an even stronger position on the world map. Port of Antwerp-Bruges will capitalise on the strengths of both port locations and focus its strategy on containers, breakbulk, RoRo traffic and chemicals. More than ever, Port of Antwerp-Bruges will play a crucial role in major freight flows and reinforce its position as one of the main gateways to Europe. The unified port has also become Europe's largest export port - with 147 million tons/year - making it a global heavyweight.
As a leading container port by tonnage - with 159 million tons/year - Port of Antwerp-Bruges aims to meet the need for container capacity due to global growth and recent developments in the international logistics chain. In parallel with the implementation of the Extra Container Capacity Antwerp (ECA) project, Port of Antwerp-Bruges is working on a 'Container Plan 22-30' to safeguard its competitive position. Elsewhere, Port of Antwerp-Bruges continues to invest in strategic infrastructure including the Europa Terminal in Antwerp, as well as the New Lock and the Maritime Logistics Zone in Zeebrugge.
For more information:
Joost Houtman
City of Antwerp
Tel.: +32 486 47 50 56
Dieter Grammens
City of Bruges
Tel.: +32 50 44 81 00