In a remarkable turn of events, the port of Antwerp-Bruges has overtaken Rotterdam in container throughput during the first quarter of 2025. Antwerp-Bruges handled 3.4 million TEU, registering a year-on-year increase of 4.5%, while Rotterdam recorded 3.3 million TEU (+2.2%).
PortEconomics member Theo Notteboom, reports:
“This development marks the first time since 1966—the year the first container liner services arrived in Europe—that Rotterdam has not held the top spot among European container ports.
Yet, the question remains whether this shift reflects a temporary deviation or a more fundamental reordering of Europe’s port hierarchy. Several structural factors on both the demand and supply sides complicate the picture. Geopolitical tensions have led to unpredictability in global trade lanes, while the recent realignment of shipping alliances—most notably the Gemini Cooperation between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd—has shifted volumes toward a smaller number of hub ports, with Rotterdam playing a central role.
On the supply side, Rotterdam benefits from ongoing terminal expansion and modernization, particularly at Maasvlakte 2. In contrast, Antwerp-Bruges awaits the long-anticipated implementation of its ECA project, a development that will eventually add more than 7 million TEU in terminal capacity, but not before the end of the decade.
This container volume contest also speaks to the evolving role of performance metrics in port governance. While TEU throughput was once the dominant benchmark for success, port authorities in the Rhine-Scheldt Delta have broadened their focus. Today, sustainability, energy transition, digital innovation, and circular economy integration are gaining traction as key performance indicators alongside traditional cargo volumes.
Still, container handling remains a core activity, and the narrowing TEU gap between the two giants has deep historical roots. Similar shifts occurred in the late 1990s and briefly in 2008. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Antwerp-Bruges has gradually closed in on Rotterdam’s lead—a dynamic that continues to unfold amid shifting global and regional pressures.
Key Takeaways:
- Antwerp-Bruges handled 3.4 million TEU in Q1 2025, surpassing Rotterdam’s 3.3 million TEU—the first such occurrence since 1966.
- Geopolitical disruptions and alliance reshuffling have increased uncertainty and reshaped cargo flows, benefiting hub-focused ports like Rotterdam.
- Rotterdam is expanding capacity through extensions at Maasvlakte 2 and upgrades at Maasvlakte 1.
- Antwerp-Bruges awaits its ECA project, which will add over 7 million TEU of terminal capacity by the early 2030s.
- Port performance metrics are diversifying—sustainability, resilience, and the circular economy are now integral to port strategy.
- The TEU gap in 2024 was just 0.29 million: Rotterdam handled 13.82 million TEU vs. 13.53 million at Antwerp-Bruges.
- Shipping alliances play a major role—Gemini favors Rotterdam, but other alliances may balance flows across ports.
- Automation and infrastructure upgrades continue at Antwerp’s existing terminals, including Antwerp Gateway and Europa Terminal.
