Disruption, diversion and a year of delays: European finished vehicle ports review

Europe’s switch from being vehicle export region, led by Germany, to becoming a net importer of vehicles, notably from China, is changing the dynamic of activity at the region’s vehicle-handling ports. While tariffs imposed by the EU in November last year on lower-priced Chinese EV imports are designed to protect European production, China’s OEMs remain largely undaunted and continue to ship vehicles from China to Europe, increasingly with their own vessels.

At the same time, European ports and terminal operators are beginning to share their vehicle-handling data for CY2024, and a picture is emerging that shows vehicle imports to European ports in 2024 have been affected by stagnant sales and disruption to maritime routes through the Red Sea because of Houthi attacks on vessels. Rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope has affected delivery times and vessel capacity, leading to volatility in volumes delivered at the ports. The dynamic of disruption is now being enflamed by uncertain trading conditions with the US and the seemingly unpremeditated scattering of tariffs by Donald Trump.

New rules of competition 
The Belgian ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge handled almost 334,000 fewer finished vehicles in 2024, with low vehicle demand and longer shipment times caused by disruption to shipping lanes in the Red Sea among the causes, according to the Port Authority of Antwerp-Bruges, which has reported combined volumes for the ports since their merger in 2022.

Antwerp-Bruges saw overall ro-ro volumes decreased by -3.4% last year compared with 2023, with new cars down by -9.4% to 3.2m units across the year, putting volumes back near to figures recorded in 2022 (see table). Used car volumes were down -31%. Additionally, trucks were down -3.2%, while high and heavy equipment was down by -22%.

The port authority noted that Belgian passenger car sales fell by -5.8% between January and November last year, while sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in wider Europe had decreased by 5.4% (year-to-date), mainly because of a sharp decline in Germany.

In a press conference held at the end of January this year, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges’ CEO Jacques Vandermeiren said that ports were now having to deal with a world less organised by shared rules and moving more into a world in which competing trading blocs were living by their own rules. He noted the uncertainty caused by Donald Trump’s return to the Whitehouse and the raft of tariff threats made in his first week there, which include toward the EU. However, he also noted that the EU had done the same with import tariffs introduced on Chinese EVs, something Germany’s VDA criticised when the charges were imposed at the end of October. Vandermeiren said the trend toward tariffs on trade hindered imports and exports, though Chinese carmakers seem largely undaunted and ready to absorb the additional import costs.

Imports of vehicles from China remained high in 2024 (+25.6%) and accounted for almost 19% of total car imports through Antwerp-Bruges, up from the 14% recorded in 2023. However, there was a pull forward on volumes in October.

“On average we had 25,000 new cars from China per month [in 2024] but this number was significantly higher in October – the month before the import tariffs came in place,” said the spokesperson for Antwerp-Bruges port authority. “November and December volumes were lower due to seasonality effects and new China import tariffs.”

Physical and digital threats 
Vandermeiren also pointed to the geopolitical disruption that had made international shipments more volatile and cut trade in 2024. The continued war in Ukraine and sanctions taken on Russia has cut container exports from the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge, though the port has absorbed that loss, according to Vandermeiren. The crisis in the Red Sea, in which vessels have been attacked and subsequently rerouted around the bottom of Africa has also affected vessel calls and schedules, with the consequence there have been rising tariffs on containers. That said, container shipments through Antwerp-Bruges were up significantly across 2024 (TEUs +8.1%), which helped drive up overall tonnage through the ports to 2,777.7m tons (+2.3%).

Vandermeiren also noted the serious problems with cyberattacks on cargo and cruise ports in Europe from Russia and its allies, which was Antwerp-Bruges’ number one risk, with attacks coming in every week. Russia’s recent physical presence in Europe is also a cause for concern to shipping and ports, and the absence of gas supply from Russia had meant energy prices have risen in Europe.

BLG support for Chinese imports 
Exact figures on vehicle throughput at the German port of Bremerhaven, where BLG Logistics is in charge of vehicle handling, are not being made available until the end of April but the company said that it continues to handle an average of 1.5m annually. That remains down on pre-Covid levels.

Axel Bantel, managing director of sales for the Automobile division at BLG Logistics, said that while previously that overall volume was roughly made up of 80% exports, the ration has now equalised to 50:50 in terms of import and export volumes because of changes in global supply chains and new markets.

He also said that the proportion of China-made vehicles in 2024 remained at 5%. BLG has been working to solve longer waiting times for EVs at Bremerhaven, including through the development of a new off-dock terminal space and “the implementation of new processes for planning and capacity management”, according to Bantel. That included provision of services for existing and new customers, including the Chinese carmakers that are launching products in Europe despite the tariffs now in place.

He said that BLG Logistics would be able to offer services for the complex needs of supplying lower-price EVs, including for new market entrants to Europe from China. That includes ro-ro terminal operations in the ports of Bremen and Cuxhaven connecting to BLG’s land-based road and rail network, inland terminals and the provision of technical services, covering the complete supply chain from vessel discharge to dealers and end customers.

However, Bantel also flagged the proviso that the speed and scale of development is subject to political and trading conditions, which are currently developing “dynamically with uncertainty” rather than sustainably and with predictability. “Our focus is therefore on continuously optimising, and adapting our operation and services to changing market conditions,” he said.

That includes BLG extending the reach of its services into new geographies where the company expects growth and Bantel included the example of Turkey where a new BLG subsidiary was established in the latter part of last year. In September, BLG announced it had set up an independent company in Turkey called BLG Uluslararasi Tasimacilik (BLG International Transport) to provide finished vehicle logistics services based in Istanbul.

BLG highlighted that Turkey imported 626,000 new cars in 2023 and manufactured 1.4m at home. “Turkey’s strategic location, linking Europe with the Middle East and Asia, makes it an ideal transport centre and logistics hub,” said Akgül at the signing of the agreement. “We want to leverage this advantage to boost the international development of the BLG Group.”

He also mentioned new African markets which BLG aims to develop through its existing operations in South Africa. The company operates five sites in South Africa providing supply chain management, contract logistics and transport services for finished vehicles and components.

Digital docks at Emden 
Further west in Germany at the port of Emden, which exclusively handles vehicles for VW Group, import-export volumes in CY2024 stood at 1.2m, down -4.6% on the previous year.

VW Group also moves finished vehicles through the Bremerhaven and Hamburg in Germany, as well as Koper (Slovenia), Santander (Spain) and Setúbal (Portugal). A spokesperson for VW Group said that a general shortage of operational personnel was noticeable at the ports last year and VW Group had to maintain close coordination with its terminal operators, rail providers and freight forwarders to ensure vehicles processing was carried out according to plan.

Notably, a third of the volume handled at Emden port in 2024 were battery EVs, equal to around 419,000 units.

That was down on the previous year when it moved 456,000 BEV and hybrid vehicles, accounting for more than 35% of the total number. Globally, VW Group sales of BEVs were down by -3.4% in 2024 compared to the previous year, with 744,800 delivered. Total deliveries worldwide stood at 9.3m (-2.3%). The group took a hit from the US where BEV sales fell -30% but increased in Europe in Q4 by +18% despite a difficult market in Germany which has forced a major restructuring at the German carmaker. 

VW Group is supporting volume throughput at Emden for both thermic vehicles and battery EVs with the implementation of a new dock and yard management system and VW Group aims to increase the use of GPS in this system in the coming months.

Furthermore, Deutsche Telekom is working with VW Group Logistics, the Bremer Institut für Produktion und Logistik (Biba) and software developer Unikie on a 5G network and Edge data centre at VW’s terminal in Emden. It is aimed at supporting a new automated car initiative VW is running at the port using an external sensor infrastructure and an Edge data centre for fast data processing on site. The AutoLog project has been using the public 5G network to test wireless communication in the overall system, including servers, sensor infrastructure and vehicles. According to VW Group’s spokesperson, the test field (sensor infrastructure) is currently being set up on the logistics areas of the Emden plant (not currently at the port areas) and commissioning is expected in the first half of 2025.

However, Deutsche Telekom said it is providing the logistics area in the port of Emden with 5G coverage and because the Emden plant is directly connected to the port it means that various traffic situations, such as the mixed operation of manually and automatically driven vehicles, can be tested.

According to Deutsche Telekom a digital twin of the test field is created using Lidar sensors installed in the port of Emden, with sensors that can detect very small details accurately and in real time.

Unikie is supplying a marshalling system for the automatic control of the vehicles using a digital replica of the parking spaces. The Unikie Marshalling Solution (UMS) ensures that the vehicles can be controlled precisely and safely, even in densely populated or confined areas.

Ro-ro diversity at Koper 
At the port of Koper in Slovenia, port operator Luka Koper also saw a slight decline of 3% in volumes moved, at just under 885,000 because of delays in ship arrivals in the first half of the year. Once again, one of the main reasons for that, according to Luka Koper, was the disruption caused by conflict in the Red Sea. Koper was able to partially recover volumes in the second half of the year, mainly through new business deals for new destinations. That involved a more diverse range of ro-ro products.

One of the objectives of Luka Koper’s Strategic Business Plan is to grow operating revenue with a focus on the container and automotive segments, and given the uncertain situation in 2024, both on maritime transport routes and on the automotive segment in general, Luka Koper said it is satisfied with the results achieved.

“In 2024 there was a diversification of oversea destinations served from/to Koper and in 2024 we registered more ro-ro cargoes, such as trucks, heavy machinery and special equipment,” said its spokesperson.

Luka Koper also said it had registered a growth in vehicle imports from China, which remain modest but are expected to grow in 2025.

Vehicle carrier turnaround times have been shortened at the port of Koper by the opening last year of the Sermin truck park which is predominantly used by trucks loading and unloading vehicles at the car terminal. Vehicle processing is also set to benefit in 2025 thank to investment in a new storage zone referred to as ‘6A’ on the eastern side of the port with capacity for 4,000 vehicle units. A new ro-ro berth is also planned in Basin No.3, with completion expected in 2027.

“Another major project is the extension of the garage, which will bring additional 11,500 parking lots, to the existing 13,600 in the garage,” said Luka Koper’s spokesperson. “The project is expected to be finished at the end 2027/early 2028.”

Further work was completed on the rail link between Koper and Divača, which is going according to plan, and the first trains should be rolling on the tracks in 2026. The modal split on the car terminal is currently 67% for road and 33% for rail.

In terms of EV shipments, Luka Koper has already invested in 30 charging stations in different locations across the port and those include fast DC charging stations, which stands the terminal in good stead for increased EV volumes. That includes imports of Vinfast EVs from Vietnam, following an agreement signed back in 2023, supporting the carmaker’s plans for sales in Europe.

“If needed, we can quickly add more charging stations as the electric infrastructure is already suitable for a consumption increase,” say its spokesperson, referring to high-capacity grids and transformers already in place.

Imports down at Barcelona 
Meanwhile, in Spain, the port of Barcelona has seen a decrease in imports from China through 2024 to just under 100,000. However, at the same time containerised car imports more than doubled and more than half of those (53.2%) were either pure battery EVs or plug-in hybrids. The port authority, Port de Barcelona, recorded the import of more than 58,000 containerised units (see table) last year.

A spokesperson for the port stressed that the containerised units are being received at Barcelona’s ro-ro car terminals rather than the container terminals, where they are unpacked added to the ro-ro vehicles parked awaiting onward inland distribution.

Overall, however, vehicle imports at Barcelona dropped by 38% to just below 156,000 units last year, a further decline on the drop of 18% on 2023 volumes after a sharp increase in the previous year. The loss in volumes from China can be traced back to December 2023 and Port de Barcelona puts the change down to disruption caused by Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, and the rerouting of vessels on longer routes around Cape of Good Hope rather than EU tariffs. “We look forward to a normalised situation on the Red Sea to assess our real forecast,” said the spokesperson for Port de Barcelona.

The majority of throughput at Barcelona remains exports, which increased by 4% to 429,000 in CY2024 and there has been higher growth in exports to Mexico, which totalled almost 25,900 last year (+37%), boosted by Seat volumes. There was also a healthy increase in exports to the UK, which totalled around 76,700 units (+7.6%).

Volkswagen and Seat/Cupra were the top carmakers by volume using Barcelona port in 2024, mainly for exports to ports in the Mediterranean and to the UK. Renault is also distributing from Spain to the Mediterranean, followed by Mazda.

In terms of capacity and infrastructure, the biggest project for the port in 2024 was the launch of a tender for a third vehicle ro-ro terminal, which promises to bring more volumes to the port. Barcelona is also working on a 105,000 sq.m vehicle terminal with direct rail access, which is due to go into operation in 2027. NYK Group submitted a project during the tender process, which the port authority is now analysing and a final decision will be made in the second half of 2025.

“The terminal, located next to the current automotive area in the port of Barcelona, will occupy an area of 10 hectares, and it’s compulsory to build a vertical silo that duplicates the surface,” said the port’s spokesperson. “According to the current conditions, it will share the berthing line with the other two vehicle terminals and will have direct access to the Príncep d’Espanya rail terminal, which is ready to operate national and international services.”

The port authority is also looking at a project to improve truck access and turnaround times at the terminals, supported by digital technology, along with further development to increase rail capacity in the shunting terminal at Can Tunis.

Thanks to its position as the only location in Spain able to handle international gauge trains, most of the international trains received in Barcelona are transporting vehicles for land distribution and do not usually use the maritime services. This year, these services have maintained the same volume as in 2023, around 79,000 vehicles. However, the Port de Barcelona said it is looking for maritime opportunities in the future.

A lift at Le Havre 
After a year of decline in 2023, ro-ro traffic at the French port of Le Havre recovered by +5.6% last year, according to Haropa Port, the authority overseeing activity at Le Havre, Rouen and Paris inland terminal. Haropa Port puts the figure at just more than 272,500 units handled, though the figures for September-December are provisional. Based on 2023 results (274,296) a 5.6% increase would put the figure closer to 290,000. Haropa Port said 75% of the figure is accounted for by imports. Taking the stated figure for 2024 that means imports stood at 204,422.

The volume is nevertheless notable given the lower vehicle sales in Europe and disruption to shipping registered elsewhere in Europe. Haropa Port said it was able to offer more room for vehicle storage, which gave it an advantage.

Outlook for 2025 
Looking ahead, the European automotive industry is under pressure, in transition and uncertain. International geopolitical disputes and tariffs continue to impact trade, while lower sales and the dominance of China as a vehicle exporter – and Europe’s transition to becoming a net importer – are changing international vehicle flows.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges company is hoping to keep volumes fluid through 2025 and outlined some key areas for attention, including the restructuring mode across the European car industry and the potential negative impact of tariffs by the US administration on European vehicle imports there.

Antwerp-Bruges exports 12% of total volumes to the US while EV sales across the EU are forecast to increase in the second half of 2025 following launch of affordable European EVs but the combined ports are expecting more imports than exports.

Luka Koper, meanwhile, said the port sector could expect weaker exports from European production plants in 2025 and more imports from Asia as Chinese brands quickly expand their distribution and servicing network in Europe. However, that will probably also reduce the dwell time of their vehicles at the terminals to facilitate faster transit and turnaround.