Antwerp and Zeebrugge ports to work together for first time

The agreement was signed in Santiago, Chile, where all four of Flanders’ port authorities – including Ghent and Ostend – are on a joint trade mission led by Flemish minister Ben Weyts, which also took them to Brazil. Antwerp and Zeebrugge (pictured) hope to attract new customers in deep sea container traffic by working together rather than competing.

“The deep sea container sector is in a state of constant change,” Coens said. “This co-operation will allow us to keep permanent track of changes and meet them proactively.”

The joint mission to South America was already being hailed as a new era in co-operation among the four ports, after decades in which they regarded each other as competitors. The agreement between Antwerp and Zeebrugge takes that one step further, especially as it has been formalised as an economic co-operation accord, a legal instrument that offers partners flexibility. The agreement allows both ports to offer the possibility of using Zeebrugge as the import destination and Antwerp as the export portal.

In addition, exporters can be diverted to available space at Zeebrugge if Antwerp is experiencing high traffic volumes. The agreement also recognises Antwerp’s role as an international gateway and reinforces Zeebrugge’s position as a fully-fledged container port. “This is a stepping stone to further common initiatives,” Weyts said. “It allows us to present a much stronger image to the outside world.”

Photo: MJJR/Wikimedia