Port of Antwerp-Bruges has published its 2027 tariff adjustments for the Antwerp and Bruges-Zeebrugge port areas, with most changes taking effect on 1 January 20271. The schedule raises towage in the Antwerp docks by 3.57%1. Platform towage dues in Zeebrugge are indexed at 2.65%, in line with the port's contract with Boluda1.
Container News reported the schedule on 1 November1. The port authority runs both port areas as one company, formed when the Antwerp and Bruges port companies merged in 20222.
Reefer and waste fees hit cargo owners most directly
From 1 January 2027, two new fees apply to reefer containers at the border inspection post on the left bank in Antwerp1. Use of the reefer monitoring system costs €9 per container per calendar day, and out-of-hours repairs cost €1,000 per intervention for up to three hours1. The report does not say whether the terminal, the forwarder or the importer is invoiced.
Waste fees change at both sites. In Antwerp the fixed fee is €400 per ship plus €0.027 per GT, with a maximum of €1,7501. In Zeebrugge it is €150 per ship plus €0.011 per GT, with a maximum of €9001.
Tonnage dues: a bigger discount for two-port calls
The reduction on tonnage dues for double calls, where a ship makes consecutive calls at Antwerp and Zeebrugge, rises from 10% to 20%1. That gives carriers a reason to build both Belgian port areas into one North Europe rotation rather than choosing between them1.
The maximum gross tonnage charged for container ships rises from 175,000 to 200,000 GT1. Any boxship rated above 175,000 GT will now be charged on more of its tonnage, so the change lands on the largest ships rather than across a fleet1.
The Environmental Ship Index discount mechanism has been reformed and standardised across both areas1. The year-of-construction restriction in Antwerp is abolished and the minimum discount in Zeebrugge is dropped1. Ships scoring 45 to 70 on the index get a 10% discount, and ships scoring above 70 up to 100 get 15%1.
The port is also harmonising reductions for certain call types. Calls solely to bunker for own use pay 50%, bunker vessels 75%, repairs or dry dock 50%, empty-handed calls or degassing 50% and crew changes 50%1. Transit calls pay €0.4941 per GT1.
Cars, concessions and cruise
Berthing dues for vehicles in Antwerp are aligned with Zeebrugge from 1 January 2027 at €0.1830 per tonne1. In Zeebrugge the permitted length of stay is extended from 14 to 20 days, matching Antwerp, and use of the RoRo bridge at quay 113 costs €150 per hour1. Automotive tariffs continue their phased gross tonnage adjustment, at €0.1307 per GT for liner trade and €0.2883 per GT for non-liner trade from 20271.
Concession tariffs are indexed at 3.97%, in line with the consumer price index for August 20261. A new tariff of €25.99 per square metre per year applies to battery energy storage activities on concession land1.
Cruise charges change on a separate timetable, from 1 January 2028, including a greening charge of €4,000 per call and €1.50 per passenger1.
The scale of the change
The 3.97% concession indexation follows the consumer price index the port used for August 2026, and the 3.57% towage rise sits in the same range1. Taken together, the schedule reads as indexation of existing charges plus targeted new fees, not a broad jump in what the gateway costs.
The lines that will move a buyer's bill are the daily reefer monitoring fee and the higher tonnage ceiling for the biggest ships1. Both take effect as 2027 freight and service contracts are being signed.