The port of Antwerp says Russia is its fourth-largest trading partner. In 2016 the port handled 11.2 million tons of cargo from or destined for the world’s largest country. Steel and container freight continue to do particularly well in this area.
In 2016 steel imports from Russia rose from 268,000 to no less than 424,000 tons, an increase of 58%.
Russia’s Northern Shipping Company (NSC) has been a faithful customer of the port of Antwerp for many years. The company operates liner services between Russia and Antwerp, contributing significantly to the growth in the steel and container volumes. There is a weekly container-plus-conventional connection with Saint Petersburg, while the port of Arkhangelsk is served on a monthly basis. NSC is represented in Antwerp by TSR Europe.
“Last year we saw an increase of 50% in our steel volume between Saint Petersburg and Antwerp, to 120,000 tons. The main success factors are the favorable exchange rate of the Russian ruble, the higher steel prices in Europe and the shorter transit times to Antwerp,” Nikolai Sukhanov, deputy fleet manager at JSC NSC, Arkhangelsk, declared. (Portnews/Ukrainian metal)