The collapse occurred in one of the largest ports in Central Europe

The port of Antwerp-Bruges, one of the largest road transport hubs in the world, has turned into a giant parking lot. Details are given by the publication Profit.Ro .

Thousands of cars, vans, trucks and heavy equipment destined for export to the United States remained in place. According to Reuters, this is happening in the context of new trade duties imposed by US President Donald Trump.

According to official data, in the first six months of 2025, exports of new passenger cars and vans to the United States decreased by 15.9% compared to the same period last year. The decline intensified in May, a month after Trump announced the introduction of duties called "Liberation Day." Exports of trucks and heavy machinery (this category includes tractors and construction equipment) fell by 31.5%.

In 2024, the port transported more than 3 million vehicles to different countries of the world. However, "the prospects for the second half of the year remain uncertain," the port representatives said in a statement, stressing that everything depends on the possibility of concluding a trade agreement between the US and the EU by August 1.

European automakers such as Volkswagen and Volvo had hoped to conclude a deal by the end of the deadline originally set by Trump, but negotiations have not yielded concrete results. Before Trump took office, car exports to the United States were taxed at 2.5%, but since April the duty has increased by another 25%, which led to a significant increase in the final price of a family car in the American market.

"The impact of the duties was an instant shock. Unlike Brexit or pandemic, where adaptation was in waves, here the measures were sudden and serious, even if they were foreseen in the political discourse," said Justin Atkin, representative of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in the UK and Ireland.

The port did not report the exact number of stuck cars, but stated that their number is in the thousands. There are also signs that more and more Chinese cars are being stored at the port, which could be a sign of a reorientation of trade amid trade tensions between Beijing and Washington.