Antwerp port boosts ferrous throughput in 2016

The port of Antwerp, one of the main transport hubs for ferrous metals in Europe, saw its throughput of steel and scrap increase significantly last year. This supported the hub’s overall expansion in 2016, Kallanish learns from the port authority.

The port handled over 1 million tonnes of scrap, up 6.5% year-on-year while movements of steel finished products reached 7.7mt, up 12.8% y-o-y.

Europe saw an increase in scrap exports to Turkey and other destinations in 2016, while the continent also increased significantly its imports of steel products, according to data from Eurofer.

Iron ore throughput at the port fell by -10.5% y-o-y to 2.1mt suggesting slightly lower activity from integrated mills’ imports of raw materials through Antwerp. Coal handled reached 1mt, down more significantly by -34.2% on-year.

The ferrous business at the port grew stronger than that for other sectors. The port handled 214mt of cargoes in total during 2016, up 2.7% y-o-y.