Port of Brussels traffic on the rise

The Port of Brussels was busier last year, with 2.6% more river traffic on its 14km stretch of canal, according to newly released figures.

The increase seen in 2024 is due to the recovery of transit journeys, after shipping on the Antwerp-Brussels-Charleroi route was frequently disrupted in 2023.

Specifically, the company’s own traffic fell 0.9% to 4.76 million tonnes, while transit traffic rose by 15.2% to 1.5 million tonnes.

It was the same situation in 2023, which saw 6.1 million tonnes of traffic. At that time there was less total traffic due to decreased transit trips, despite more goods being loaded and unloaded in Brussels.

Building materials account for the largest share of traffic at the Port of Brussels. Following a decrease in renovation work, this volume fell by 3.5% to 2.79 million tonnes.

The traffic of oil products increased by 21.6% to 890,294 tonnes, while container transport reduced by 11%.

Finally, cruise traffic is on the rise. In 2024, more than 25,000 people, mainly from the Netherlands, arrived on a total of 119 ships. This is a substantial increase compared to 2023, which saw 68 ships and 14,000 passengers.

The Brussels Port Authority – which brings together 300 companies and accounts for 9,000 direct and indirect jobs – also points to its role in reducing CO₂ emissions in the capital.

The waterway avoided 585,000 truck journeys in and around Brussels last year, with around 2,000 fewer lorries a day. This reduction in large vehicle travel resulted in savings of more than 90,000 tonnes of CO₂, compared to 88,436 tonnes in 2023.

In 2023, travelling on the canal and its 23 bridges was often blocked due to accidents, breakdowns, maintenance work or flood risks.