For Belgian shipowners, 2024 was another year of major challenges. The geopolitical situation had a significant impact on the safety of shipping and its crews. Belgian shipowners did not hesitate to navigate the Red Sea in order to guide their ships on a safe but long journey via the Cape of Good Hope to their destination.

In 2024, the United States of America introduced a project whereby ships built in China would have to pay high taxes when calling at a US port. The concrete implementation of this taxation will have a significant impact on the entire logistics chain from 2025 onwards. The tax dossiers that must guarantee Belgian shipowners a level playing field with their European competitors were included in the coalition agreement. We expect the government to bring these dossiers to a successful conclusion in 2025.

During MEPC 82 in October 2024, discussions continued on establishing a global, binding legal framework to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping. A final agreement is expected at MEPC 83, scheduled for early April 2025. Reaching a global agreement is essential to prevent the proliferation of unilateral measures and to ensure a level playing field—particularly by avoiding double payments under overlapping ETS systems.

At the end of 2024, the Antwerp Maritime Academy reconstruction project broke the deadlock. A restart of the works is planned for 2026, with delivery expected before 2030!

Also in December 2024, the members of the board of directors decided to support the Havenwereld project. Promoting the Belgian maritime sector is a key objective of the project. We would also like to express our appreciation to the social partners within the joint consultation for their constructive input regarding the future of our sector. Our sincere thanks also go to the Ministry of Defense, and in particular to the Belgian Navy, for their commitment to the security of the Belgian merchant navy.