Shipping to and from Belgium

Some see Belgium as Europe’s logistics hotspot. The country indeed boasts one of the biggest cargo airports, major cargo ports, accessible road infrastructure, and several multimodal platforms. As a logistics base, Belgium enables to reach 170 million consumers within a radius of 500 km. This article analyzes shipping to and from Belgium, covering ocean freight, air freight, and land freight.

Shipping to and from Belgium

Sea freight to and from Belgium

Ocean freight is very cost-effective for long journey times. Container shipping is divided into ro-ro, lo-lo, FCL, and LCL (Full Container Load vs. Less than Container Load). Moreover, you can send large shipments (out of gauge cargo).

Ports in Belgium

Port of Antwerp (BEANR), located on the Scheldt River, is the second largest container port in Europe and one of the world’s top 15 ports. It has 800 connections all over the world.
Port of Bruges-Zeebrugge (BEZEE) is a large container, bulk cargo port connected to approximately 70 ports via deep-sea container services.
Port of Ghent (BEGNE) is Belgium’s third busiest seaport.
Port of Ostend (BEOST) serves as a base for North Sea offshore wind farms’ development and maintenance.
Port of Brussels (BEBRU) is Belgium’s second inland port and only a 5-hour sail from the Port of Antwerp.
Port of Liege (BELGG) is one of the biggest inland ports in Europe.
Port of Namur (BENAM) is located on the Rivers Meuse and Sambre in the south of Belgium.
Port of Genk (BEGNK) is a medium-sized port, handling mostly motor freighters.

Sea routes to and from Belgium

Many major ship lines offer services to/from Belgium, like ONE, CMA CGM, Maersk, and Hapag-Lloyd. Some of the routes are both northbound and southbound or eastbound and westbound.

ONE offers services to and from Belgium:

AL5 (Atlantic 5): Southampton – Le Havre – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – Halifax – Cartagena – Rodman – Los Angeles – Oakland – Seattle – Vancouver – Oakland – Los Angeles – Rodman – Cartagena – Caucedo – Halifax – Southampton (77 days)
IBESCO (Iberia, Europe, Scandinavia Loop): Rotterdam – Aarhus – Gothenburg – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Leixoes – Lisbon – London Gateway – Rotterdam (21 days)
NEX (North Europe East Mediterranean Express): Antwerp – Hamburg – Southampton – Le Havre – Malta – Alexandria – Damietta – Beirut – Mersin – Iskenderun – Algeciras
NBS (North Sea Baltic Service – Russian Loop): Antwerp – Rotterdam – St. Petersburg – Helsinki – Antwerp (20 days)
FI1 (Finland Express 1): Rotterdam – Helsinki – Kotka – Antwerp – Rotterdam (9 days)
BRX (Benelux Russia Express): Antwerp – Rotterdam – St. Petersburg – Antwerp
BBX (Belgium Baltic Express): Antwerp – Rotterdam – Riga – Klaipeda – Rotterdam (14 days)
IOS (Indian Ocean Service): Jebel Ali – Karachi – Nhava Sheva – Hazira – Mundra – Jeddah – Tangier – Rotterdam – Hamburg – London Gateway – Antwerp – Tangier – Jeddah – Jebel Ali (56 days)
IO2 (Indian Ocean Service 2): Jebel Ali – Abu Dhabi – Port Qasim – Nhava Sheva – Mundra – Jeddah – Tangier – Southampton – Rotterdam – Bremerhaven – Antwerp – Le Havre – Algeciras – Jeddah – Jebel Ali (56 days)
IO3 (Indian Ocean Service 3): Damietta – Piraeus – Rotterdam – London Gateway – Hamburg – Antwerp – Le Havre – Damietta
AL3 (Atlantic 3): Antwerp – Hamburg – London Gateway
AL5 (Atlantic 5): Southampton – Le Havre – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp
NPX (North Sea Poland Express): Antwerp – Rotterdam – Helsingborg – Gdynia – Antwerp (14 days)
FE3 (Far East Europe 3): Hong Kong – Xiamen – Kaohsiung – Yantian – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – Southampton – Jebel Ali – Singapore – Yantian – Hong Kong (77 days)
FE4 (Far East – Europe 4): Qingdao – Pusan – Ningbo – Shanghai – Yantian – Algeciras – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Algeciras – Singapore (84 days)
NTX (North Europe Turkey Express): Southampton – Antwerp – Hamburg – Rotterdam – Malta – Gebze – Istanbul – Gemlik – Aliaga – Tangier – Southampton.

CMA CGM services to and from Belgium:

LIBERTY BRIDGE: Southampton – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Bremerhaven – Le Havre – New York – Norfolk – Savannah – Charleston (22 days)
SAINT LAURENT: Montreal – Halifax – Bremerhaven – Rotterdam – Antwerp (15 days)
CALIFORNIA BRIDGE: Southampton – Le Havre – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – Oakland – Los Angeles (36 days)
EURAF 1: Tilbury – Antwerp – Le Havre – Genoa – Valencia – Vlissingen – Dakar – Tema – Abidjan (25 days)
EUROPE PAKISTAN INDIA CONSORTIUM: Southampton – Rotterdam – Bremerhaven – Antwerp – Le Havre – Algeciras – Jeddah – Jebel Ali – Abu Dhabi – Port Qasim – Nhava Sheva – Mundra (36 days)
NORTH EUROPE TO US GULF & MEXICO: Rotterdam – London Gateway – Hamburg – Antwerp – Le Havre – Houston – Veracruz (35 days)
FRENCH ASIA LINE – FAL 2: Tianjin – Xingang – Dalian – Qingdao – Shanghai – Ningbo – Singapore – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp (43 days)
FRENCH ASIA LINE – FAL 3: Qingdao – Ningbo – Shanghai – Yantian – Singapore –Rotterdam – Southampton – Antwerp – Le Havre – Tangier (over 40 days)
FRENCH ASIA LINE – FAL 5: Shanghai – Ningbo – Xiamen – Yantian – Singapore – Felixstowe – Gdansk – Wilhelmshaven – Zeebrugge (43 days)
FRENCH ASIA LINE – FAL 7: Xiamen – Nansha – Hong Kong – Vung Tau – Hamburg – Rotterdam – Zeebrugge – Felixstowe (39 days)
FRENCH ASIA LINE – FAL 8: Tianjin – Ningbo – Shanghai – Yantian – Singapore – Colombo – Antwerp – Hamburg – Rotterdam (42 days)
SAFRAN: Rotterdam – London Gateway – Hamburg – Antwerp – Le Havre – Buenos Aires – Montevideo (30 days)
EUROSAL XL: Rotterdam – London Gateway – Hamburg – Antwerp – Le Havre – Caucedo – Cartagena – Manzanillo – Buenaventura – Posorja – Callao – Puerto Angamos – San Antonio (36 days)
VICTORY BRIDGE: Le Havre – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Bremerhaven – Charleston – Miami – Veracruz – Altamira – Houston – New Orleans (29 days)
NEW NEMO: London Gateway – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – Le Havre – Fos – La Spezia – Malta – Pointe des Galets – Port Louis – Sydney – Melbourne – Adelaide – Fremantle (57 days)
NC LEVANT EXPRESS: Southampton – Hamburg – Rotterdam – Antwerp – Le Havre – Malta – Alexandria – Damietta – Beirut – Mersin – Iskenderun – Tangier (31 days).

MAERSK services to and from Belgium:

AE2 Eastbound: Felixstowe – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Algeciras – Singapore – Hong Kong – Shanghai – Qingdao – Busan – Ningbo (50 days)
AE2 Westbound: Qingdao – Busan – Ningbo – Yantian – Tanjung Pelepas – Rotterdam – Felixstowe – Antwerp (40 days)
AE6 Eastbound: Antwerp – Felixstowe – Port Tangier Mediterranee – Singapore – Laem Chabang – Ningbo – Shanghai (41 days)
AE6 Westbound: Ningbo – Shanghai – Yantian – Tanjung Pelepas – Sines – Antwerp – Felixstowe (39 days)
AE7 Eastbound: Hamburg – Antwerp – London Gateway – Le Havre – Port Tangier Mediterranee – Salalah – Abu Dhabi – Jebel Ali – Ningbo – Shanghai – Nansha New Port – Yantian (52 days)
AE7 Westbound: Shanghai – Nansha New Port – Yantian – Tanjung Pelepas – Colombo – Port Tangier Mediterranee – Felixstowe – Hamburg – Antwerp – London Gateway – Le Havre (43 days)
CAE Eastbound: Montreal – Halifax – Bremerhaven – Rotterdam – Antwerp (16 days)
CAE Westbound: Bremerhaven – Rotterdam – Antwerp – Montreal – Halifax (19 days)
CLX Northbound: Callao – Valparaiso – Balboa – Manzanillo – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Hamburg (32 days)
CLX Southbound: Antwerp – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Cartagena – Manzanillo – Balboa – Callao – Valparaiso (30 days)
CRX Southbound: Cork, Co Cork – Tilbury – Antwerp – Bremerhaven – Veracruz – Altamira – Port of Big Creek – Manzanillo – Puerto Moin (37 days)
CRX Northbound: Veracruz – Altamira – Port of Big Creek – Manzanillo – Puerto Moin – Cork, Co Cork – Tilbury – Antwerp – Bremerhaven (32 days)
French Antilles Westbound: Dunkerque – Antwerp – Le Havre – Montoir de Bretagne – Pointe a Pitre – Fort de France – Pointe a Pitre (19 days)
N12 BG Feeder: Rotterdam – Felixstowe – South Shields – Grangemouth – Antwerp – Rotterdam (9 days)
PCRF Southbound: Dunkerque – London Gateway – Zeebrugge – Le Havre – Montoir de Bretagne – Pointe a Pitre – Fort de France (16 days)
NEO Samba: Rotterdam – London Gateway – Hamburg – Antwerp – Santos – Paranagua – Buenos Aires – Montevideo – Paranagua – Santos – Port Tangier Mediterranee (52 days)
TA1 Eastbound: Charleston (north) – Houston – Norfolk – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Bremerhaven (14 days)
TA1 Westbound: Antwerp – Rotterdam – Bremerhaven – Norfolk – Charleston (north) – Houston (21 days)
TA2 Eastbound: Newark – Norfolk – Baltimore – Charleston (north) – Savannah – Newark – Bremerhaven – Antwerp – Le Havre (29 days)
TA2 Westbound: Bremerhaven – Antwerp – Le Havre – Newark – Norfolk – Baltimore – Charleston (north) – Savannah – Newark (29 days)
TA3 Eastbound: Newark – Veracruz – Altamira – New Orleans – Mobile – Freeport – Charleston (north) – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Bremerhaven (31 days)
TA3 Westbound: Antwerp – Rotterdam – Bremerhaven – Newark – Veracruz – Altamira – New Orleans – Mobile – Freeport – Charleston (north) (30 days)
TA4 Eastbound: Newark – Savannah – Port Everglades – Charleston (north) – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Bremerhaven – Liverpool (25 days)
TA4 Westbound: Antwerp – Rotterdam – Bremerhaven – Liverpool – Newark – Savannah – Port Everglades – Charleston (north) (24 days).

Hapag-Lloyd services to and from Belgium:

Atlantic Loop 1 (AL1): Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – London Gateway – Norfolk – Philadelphia – New York – Halifax (25 days)
Atlantic Loop 5 (AL5): Southampton – Le Havre – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – Halifax – Pt. Everglades – Cartagena – Rodman – Los Angeles – Oakland – Seattle – Vancouver (41 days)
North-Sea Baltic Service (NBS): Antwerp – Rotterdam – St. Petersburg – Helsinki – Kotka (9 days)
Far East Loop 3 (FE3): Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – Jebel Ali – Singapore – Yantian – Hong Kong – Xiamen – Kaohsiung (46 days)
Far East Loop 4 (FE4): Hamburg – Rotterdam – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Algeciras – Singapore – Qingdao – Pusan – Ningbo – Shanghai – Yantian (49 days)
Far East Loop 5 (FE5): Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – London Gateway – Jeddah – Singapore – Laem Chabang – Vung Tau (43 days)
Indian Ocean Service (IOS): Rotterdam – Hamburg – London Gateway – Antwerp – Tangier – Jeddah – Jebel Ali – Karachi – Nhava Sheva – Hazira Mundra (35 days)
Far East Loop 5 (FE5): Rotterdam – Hamburg – Southampton – Antwerp – Jeddah Colombo (28 days)
Indian Ocean Service 3 (IO3): Southampton – Bremerhaven – Rotterdam – Antwerp – Le Havre – Algeciras – Jeddah – Jebel Ali – Abu Dhabi – Port Qasim – Nhava Sheva – Mundra (37 days)
Far East Loop 3 (FE3): Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – London Gateway – Jebel Ali (23 days)
Caribbean Express Service (CES): Norfolk – Kingston – Santa Marta – Puerto – Limon – Caucedo – London – Rotterdam – Antwerp (29 days)
North Europe-South America East Coast Service (ECX): Buenos Aires – Montevideo – Rio Grande – Navegantes – Paranagua – Santos – Rio de Janeiro – Salvador – Pacem – Tangier – Rotterdam – London Gateway – Bremerhaven – Hamburg – Antwerp – Le Havre (38 days)
North Europe – South America Westcoast Service (SWX): San Antonio – Callao – Posorja – Manzanillo, PA – Cartagena – Caucedo – Rotterdam – London Gateway – Hamburg – Antwerp (31 days)
Atlantic Loop 4 (AL4): Veracruz – Altamira – Houston – New Orleans – London Gateway – Antwerp – Hamburg – Le Havre (33 days)
Atlantic Loop 5 (AL5): Seattle – Vancouver – Oakland – Los Angeles – Rodman – Cartagena – Caucedo – Savannah – Southampton – Le Havre – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp (40 days)
Brazil-River Plate Service (BPX): Buenos Aires – Montevideo – Paranagua – Santos – Tangier – Rotterdam – London Gateway – Hamburg – Antwerp (33 days)
South Africa Express (SAX): London Gateway – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – Le Havre – Cape Town – Coega – Durban (29 days).

Port of Antwerp, *portofantwerpbruges.com*

Airfreight to and from Belgium

Airfreight has the shortest transit time to far-away destinations. That being said, air freight is the most expensive method of shipping. It is used mainly to move perishable, valuable, or urgent shipments.

Main cargo airport in Belgium

Liege Airport (LGG, EBLG) is the biggest cargo airport in Belgium and one of the top ten in Europe. It mainly handles cargo and charter flights.

Destinations from Liege Airport (cargo airlines):

Air China Cargo – Hangzhou, Shanghai–Pudong
ASL Airlines Belgium – Chicago–O’Hare, Halifax, Hangzhou, Jinan, New York–JFK, Shanghai–Pudong
Astral Aviation – Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta
Atlas Air – Tel Aviv
CAL Cargo Air Lines – Atlanta, Larnaca, Mexico City, New York–JFK, Oslo, Tel Aviv, Toronto–Pearson
CMA CGM Air Cargo – Atlanta, Chicago–O’Hare, Hong Kong
Ethiopian Cargo – Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Johannesburg–O.R. Tambo, Juba, Lagos, Miami, New York–JFK, Shanghai–Pudong, Zaragoza
Icelandair Cargo – Reykjavík–Keflavík
Qatar Airways Cargo – Atlanta, Chicago–O’Hare, Doha, Houston–Intercontinental, Los Angeles, Mexico City.

Land freight to and from Belgium

Belgium is located in Northwestern Europe. The country is at the crossroads of Western Europe, sandwiched between the biggest EU economies – France and Germany. Its extensive transport infrastructure is integrated with the rest of Europe, especially through land – roads and railways. Road freight is more flexible than rail freight, though it is not as environmentally friendly.

Rail transportation to and from Belgium

Like every mode of transportation, rail freight has its pros and cons. It is less pollution than road haulage but is not cut out for time-sensitive shipments.

Belgium has one of the densest railway networks in the world. Major cargo terminals in Belgium are in:

Zeebrugge
Antwerp
Liege
Ghent (Kluizendok).

Through Belgium go several rail freight corridors.

The Rhine-Alpine Corridor goes from the seaports of Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Antwerp, Amsterdam, and Vlissingen down to the port of Genoa.
The North Sea-Baltic Corridor runs through several EU countries, starting in Belgium in the North Sea ports of Antwerp, Gent/Terneuzen, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Wilhelmshaven, Bremerhaven, and Hamburg. It expands into central Germany through Aachen, Hannover, Magdeburg, and Berlin to Warsaw and Terespol. A branch leads from Magdeburg to Prague via Falkenberg and Dresden. From Falkenberg the Southern branch extends in Poland to Wrocław, Katowice and Medyka. Another leg goes from Warsaw to Kaunas, then to Riga and Tallinn.
The North Sea-Mediterranean Corridor connects Edinburgh in the north, with the French ports of Marseille and Fos-sur-Mer in the south, as well as Rotterdam and Antwerp.

Rail freight corridors in Europe (simplified)

The map shows the Eurasia railway project. The network of connections will enable shipping goods by rail from Singapore to Spain.

Road transportation to and from Belgium

The biggest advantage of road freight is its flexibility. Road freight, out of other transport solutions, can accommodate schedule changes. Door-to-door service is ideal for perishable goods. Many truck types can accommodate diverse types of cargo. The downside is that it is not as safe and quick as air freight, for example.

Inland Terminal Meerhout is the largest container terminal in the Benelux. It is located alongside the Albert Canal between Antwerp and Liege, close to a motorway. It has permanent connections to the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp and a stock/depot for almost every shipping company. The terminal offers container storage, terminal services, trucking services, and more.

Intermodal transportation to and from Belgium

Multimodal transportation is the use of several means of transportation to move goods. The cargo can be shipped by sea, air, road, and rail in different combinations (thus, it is also called combined transportation). For example, Rail Cargo Group provides intercontinental intermodal services from Antwerp via Budapest to Istanbul/Köseköy (Turkey) or Jinan (China).

Shipping to and from Belgium map — Rail Cargo Group intermodal routes to and from Belgium

Shipping costs to and from Belgium

How much does it cost to ship from or to Belgium? Shipping cost depends on shipment origin, destination, date, packaging, and size/weight. Every freight forwarder provides different solutions at different prices, so to get the best offer, compare the offers on ShipHub.co. Fill in the form and receive quotes from multiple freight forwarders for free!