Port of Zeebrugge signs partnership agreement with Port of Nagoya
On 17 July Port of Zeebrugge signed a partnership agreement with Japan’s number one port Nagoya. Joachim Coens, President Managing Director of Port of Zeebrugge and Takayuki Kondo, Executive Vice President of Port of Nagoya, signed the agreement in Nagoya, said in the port's press release.
Nagoya
Port of Nagoya serves a wide range of industries located in its hinterland : automotive industry, aerospace, industrial machinery and many others. The port also accommodates Japan’s first automated container terminal.
For many years now Port of Zeebrugge maintains close relations with the port of Nagoya. Trade contacts started via Toyota Motor which runs 12 production units in Toyota City. The export is organised via Port of Nagoya. For Toyota Motor Zeebrugge is the main distribution platform in Europe. For Zeebrugge Nagoya is not only important for the automotive industry, but also for container cargo flows (CMA CGM, Maersk Line).
Japanese cluster in Zeebrugge
For more than 20 years the port of Zeebrugge has kept close ties with Japan. The Japanese investments in Zeebrugge are thick-set. There are Japanese shipping companies active in Zeebrugge, Japanese interests in Zeebrugge stevedores and Japanese plants : Toyota, NYK, Toyofuji, Mitsui, “K” Line, KESS, UECC, Bridgestone, Sumitomo, Meiko, Daikin, AGC Glass, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Suzuki, Nissan, etc.
Agreement
Both ports, Port of Zeebrugge and Port of Nagoya, are convinced that ‘logistics’ is a prime tool to improve service levels and customer care. Moreover as global trade equals maritime transportation and both ports are gateways into Europe and Japan, they see it as a strategic task to share their expertise.
In addition the partnership agreement aims at giving the trade between the two ports a further boost.
Through this agreement Port of Zeebrugge also joins the existing agreement between Nagoya and Antwerp. The 25 year agreement will be renewed in August in the presence of the Flemish ports.
Nagoya is Zeebrugge’s second Japanese sister port. Port of Zeebrugge already signed a trade enhancement agreement with the Port of Hakata in 1999.
