COVER STORY
PORTS RIDE RECOVERY WAVE Rebound of Breakbulk Cargoes Welcomed
In the first three months of 2021, the Port of Antwerp’s breakbulk segment had its best quarter since the second quarter of 2019. CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK
BY FELICITY LANDON
P
re-2020, many traditional breakbulk ports were already grappling with the impact of trade and tariff wars, on top of the loss of breakbulk volumes in the drive to containerize pretty much anything. The pandemic delivered another layer of challenges, particularly as major projects were delayed or postponed and other breakbulk cargoes fell, together with the need to adjust to socially distanced, Covid-safe working practices. Is there room for optimism now? It seems so. In the first three months of 2021, the Port of Antwerp’s breakbulk segment had its best quarter since the second quarter of 2019. Volumes of iron and steel, the port’s main breakbulk cargoes, increased by more than 18 percent. This was due to a peak in the supply of steel, which could be partly explained by the new import 16 BREAKBULK MAGAZINE www.breakbulk.com
quotas that took effect on April 1, said marketing adviser Annick Dekeyser. Steel volumes – dominated by coil – had been under pressure from mid-2019 due to several trade wars, she said. This was compounded by the arrival of Covid-19 bringing the automotive industry to a standstill, with steel volumes collapsing in April and May 2020. While there have been signs of a pickup in vehicle production this year, nevertheless the industry has been held back by a shortage of microchips – yet another side effect that could hold back demand for steel. Antwerp, which has 15 terminals specializing in project and breakbulk cargoes, is pushing forward on several levels. In January, the port appointed a representative in Russia. Based in Moscow, Andrey Daskovskiy is focusing particularly on steel and project cargo. “Russia is one of our top five maritime partner countries, so appointing a local representative is a next step in
broadening our international network by connecting more closely to the Russian market,” Dekeyser said. “All our representatives plan their activities in the framework of our commercial strategy, of which breakbulk is one of the six focus areas.” About 10 percent of Antwerp’s total steel volume is to/from Russia, she added. A marketing campaign which ran to February this year sought to inform potential customers about what is possible in the Port of Antwerp in terms of handling steel: “We made movies focusing on different aspects of the service in the port, including warehousing possibilities and our hinterland connections by truck, train and barge. We spread the word through social media.” Many companies ship a range of commodities, and it is possible they have not shipped steel for three or four years, so they are almost a “new” customer, Dekeyser pointed out. “They might not know that Antwerp ISSUE 4 / 2021
