The key Belgian port of Antwerp has recorded a rise in cargo volumes of 2.8% in the first half of 2017.
The terminal said it handled 111.38m tonnes of freight.
Container operations performed well again after a number of "exceptional" years, with an increase of 2.5% in terms of tonnage (61,288,264 tonnes) and 1.9% in teu terms to 5,143,305 teu, it said.
Liquid bulk, a regular source of growth, finished 1.8% up at the end of June, at 36.04m tonnes.
Crude oil and chemicals put on 34% and 1% respectively.
Port authority CEO Jacques Vandermeiren said: “In 2016 Antwerp was one of the few ports in the Hamburg-Le Havre range to achieve growth figures.
But he warned: “We have to look ahead; these volumes also demonstrate the need for additional container capacity in the port of Antwerp."
Ro-ro freight experienced "particularly strong growth", the port said, up 9.2% to 2.56m tonnes.
The number of cars handled rose by 5.0% to 651,363 units.
Dry bulk rose 1.1%, with ores up 27.7%, while conventional breakbulk expanded rapidly in comparison with the same period last year, at 5.37m tonnes, representing growth of 13%.
A total of 7,137 seagoing ships called at Antwerp during the first six months, 1.4% fewer than last year.
But gross tonnage was up 3.2% to 205.25m gt.
