The Port of Antwerp reported that although the Belgian government announced measures to limit the spread of the COVID-19, the Prime Minister asked fro major sectors of industry, including the port, to continue operations.
Following the Prime Minister’s decision, the port stated that
We are facing up to our responsibility and are making it a priority to keep the port fully operational … As the main engine of the Belgian economy, Port of Antwerp is essential to keep Flanders and Belgium supplied.
In addition the port is working actively to prevent further spread of the coronavirus, taking various measures, including:
- They constantly monitor the advice of the WHO, EU and Federal Government Departments of Health (Saniport) and Mobility.
- A cross-border, multi-sector taskforce has been set up with various partners to monitor the situation weekly and to impose additional measures where necessary. These partners include Alfaport-Voka, ASV, Cepa, Agentschap voor Maritieme Dienstverlening en Kust, de Vlaamse Waterweg, Customs & Excise, Rijkswaterstaat and the cabinet of the Flemish Minister for Mobility
- All incoming ships must submit a Maritime Declaration of Health (MDH) 24 hours before calling at port, in which the ship’s master must declare whether there is any illness or suspected illness on board, together with a list of the last ten ports called at. The ship is screened for this by Saniport.
- All events of Port of Antwerp that are not strictly necessary have been cancelled, and visitors are admitted to critical work locations in the port only where absolutely essential.
- The health and welfare of all employees in Port of Antwerp is a top priority, and we are doing everything necessary to guarantee a safe work environment. Furthermore, many port authorities are organising themselves so that as many employees as possible can work from home and are limiting physical meetings to those that are strictly necessary.
Moreover, concerning the economic impact COVID-19 has on the port’s freight transport, the port stated that due to the spread of the virus, they are unable to estimate the economic impact on the port of Antwerp, adding that as the outbreak’s main centre is the EU and the US, it will have an effect on the world economy.
Due to coronavirus, 15 less ships are expected to call at the port of Antwerp in the following weeks, corresponding to 115,000 TEU (standard containers) less of container traffic to and from China. China is Port of Antwerp’s second-largest trading partner after the USA.
As yet it is still too early to estimate the impact on the trade volume from the rest of the world.
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