Changes in Europe's port podium: Who, what and why?

The first quarter of 2025 has seen a shift in ports performance in Europe: The Port of Antwerp-Bruges handled 3.4 million TEU, registering a year-on-year increase of 4.5% and apparently dethroning the Port of Rotterdam, which recorded 3.3 million TEU, which is an increase of approximately 2.2% compared to the same period the year. This is change in the podium of European ports, however, only refers to containerized cargo. When looking at the broader scope of activities (like its oil cluster), the Port of Rotterdam remains at the top with 436 million vs. 278 million tons in total for Antwerp-Bruges). Whether this is a one-off or the beginning of a trend that might reshuffle podium of European ports, especially looking outside of the North Sea: The cargo throughput of German ports seems to be declining while Mediterranean ports are gaining momentum. To talk about these and shifts in the industry, we are joined by Senior Investments Manager at APM Terminals and vivid ports commentator on LinkedIn, Luuk de Gruijter.

So, let's talk about it.

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