New contacts at trade fair in Belgium

The logistics trade fair in Antwerp took place on 24-26 April. It is the largest trade fair of its kind for the cargo and break bulk industry. Representatives from the Port of Södertälje were there and can tell you more.

The logistics trade fair Break Bulk Europe is a major annual event that fills four large exhibition halls and is aimed at the industrial sector in Europe. It provides opportunities to forge contacts and enable deals globally. Over a long period, the Port of Södertälje has undergone significant changes regarding the type of cargo handled in the port and this year we attended the trade fair for the first time.

- Over the last two years, container handling at the Port of Södertälje has reduced, says Per Fredman, Sales Manager at the Port of Södertälje. It obviously remains one of the four main pillars that we rely on, but as the volume has reduced we are also looking at other, alternative types of goods.

There is currently a major focus at the Port of Södertälje on building material, which supplies the continually growing residential construction in the Stockholm region. This type of cargo, known as Break Bulk, was the reason to attend the trade fair in Antwerp.

- I am pleased with the attendance, concludes Per. Bringing in new flows of cargo into a port is a long process. Personal meetings with producers, freight forwarders and shipping companies are an important part of this. And we were able to forge a great deal of new contacts at the trade fair this year. We are now continuing to work on getting even more shipments loaded with break bulk cargo into our port.