Cosco buys into Antwerp Gateway

Rotterdam’s container movements jumped by more than 12% to 9.3m TEUs whilst Antwerp registered 6.5m TEUs up nearly 7% on the previous year.

According to a P&O statement the shareholders will be P&O Ports 42.5%, COSCO 25%, P&O Nedlloyd 25% and Duisport 7.5%.

Antwerp is already the third largest container port in Europe, handling 5.45mTEUs in 2003. Annual growth forecast is around 8% until 2010. In April P&O Ports signed a 40 year concession with the Antwerp Port Authority to equip and operate a new container terminal on the east side of Deurganckdok.