Trump's new tariff threats trigger surge in Antwerp port activity

27 March 2025

The Port of Antwerp is experiencing an unexpected surge in activity following a renewed threat of import tariffs from US president Donald Trump.

On Thursday, Trump warned that sweeping new trade tariffs would be imposed if the European Union and Canada cooperated in ways that he believes are economically harmful to the US. These will be significantly broader than those currently planned, he wrote on his social media network, Truth Social.

The announcement has caused anxiety among European businesses, with many rushing to ship goods across the Atlantic before the potential tariffs take effect. "Large chemical companies as well as small and medium-sized enterprises are scrambling to get their stocks to the US," Eric Laureys of the business association Voka told public broadcaster VRT NWS.

Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

If the European Union works with Canada in order to do economic harm to the USA, large scale Tariffs, far larger than currently planned, will be placed on them both in order to protect the best friend that each of those two countries has ever had!

Truth Social

At the port of Antwerp, lorry drivers are reportedly waiting up to five hours to unload containers. Ongoing labour disputes in other nearby ports have also exacerbated the shift to Antwerp, making it an increasingly attractive hub for major shipping lines.

Interest rates on hold?

Concerns are also growing at the European level. Pierre Wunsch, governor of the National Bank of Belgium and a member of the European Central Bank's Governing Council, told CNBC that escalating trade tensions with the US could force the ECB to keep interest rates on hold in April. Trump's tariff threats risk pushing up inflation while dampening economic growth, he warned.