Brushing aside talks of recovery in European Union, Marc Van Peel, chairman of Port of Antwerp said that there was no recovery yet.
"Although we keep hearing a lot about recovery especially in the media, we don't witness recovery now, " he told Business Standard during his recent visit to the city. The good thing happening is that the situation is stabilizing and not worsening further, he added.
Exploring business opportunities in India, Port of Antwerp is also looking at setting up a greenfield port in Gujarat, sources close to the development said.
Regarded as the gateway to Europe, the Port of Antwerp is Europe's second largest port and fourth largest in the world, handling a flow of about 190 million tonnes of cargo every year. According to Peel all the north west European world including Port of Rotterdam have been reeling under the impact of slowdown with their volumes down by 15-20 per cent on an average.
Recovery, according to Peel will come in Europe only towards middle of next year. The worst hit in Antwerp Port has been the container terminals for consumer products where volumes lowered by 18-19 per cent.
The port authorities are currently investing in new infrastructure areas in Antwerp. Being the first mover among European ports to have entered into a relationship with India, Port of Antwerp is now searching for new business opportunities for port along with private sector firms of Antwerp in India. "You can dream of growth figures in India," he said while adding that there was no link between recession in Europe and efforts towards India.
"Although growth from India will help us recover," Peel said. Port of Antwerp has been the first European port to North South America and the first port to have trade relations with Africa.
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"We didn't catch up the opportunity when China opened up 20 years ago. And, we don't want to commit the same mistake when we take on India," he said. The decline in imports from China recently has also impacted the port.
Peel, along with other delegates of from the private sector, visited Adani's Mundra Port in Gujarat a few days ago. As part of an agreement, Port of Antwerp, does consulting and training activities with Mundra Port. "I am very impressed by Mundra Port. It is a good new port with a lot of attention given for hinterland connectivity by road and rail," Peel said. The hinterland connectivity is a problem area that is seeing a lot of improvement.