The port of Antwerp is extremely busy due to the tariffs announced by US President Donald J Trump. Many companies want to ship goods to America quickly to avoid being hit. Trucks are having to queue at terminals for hours. ‘Chemical giants, but also SMEs want to get stock to America ASAP’ says Eric Laureys of Flemish employers’ organisation Voka.
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Huge rush at Port of Antwerp due to Trump’s tariffs: ‘Businesses want to ship stock to America ASAP’
Colin Clapson
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At some parts of the port of Antwerp, trucks are having to wait up to five hours to drop off their containers daily Gazet van Antwerpen reports. The news is confirmed by the business community. There is a huge rush in and around container terminals, and that has a lot to do with the trade war unleashed by the US.
‘Companies are anticipating the import tariffs the US administration has announced,’ says Frederic Keymeulen of Transport and Logistics Flanders. ‘They want to export as many goods as possible before the goods become more expensive. That creates extra pressure at container terminals.’
‘On top of that, there are union protest actions going on at several ports in neighbouring countries. As a result, large shipping companies have increasingly been opting for Antwerp in recent weeks,’ Mr Keymeulen adds.
Beer and chocolate exporters hold their breath
According to the Flemish employers' federation Voka, companies both large and small are taking their precautions. ‘For a while now Belgian chocolate producers, for example, but also the chemical giants have been shipping large stocks of their products to America,’ says Voka's Eric Laureys.
‘In recent days we have also seen that small entrepreneurs and SMEs are eager to anticipate Trump's tariffs. Think of microbreweries with an outlet in the United States. If their beer suddenly becomes 25 per cent more expensive, they won't be able to sell in America.’