Chemical, plastics and steel imports from Antwerp to Prague

Antwerp: Europe's chemical port for Czech manufacturers

Alongside its container terminals on the Scheldt, Antwerp hosts the largest integrated chemical cluster in Europe. For Czech and Slovak plastics processors, paint makers and industrial buyers it is a key source of polymers, solvents and resins, as well as steel and green coffee. We arrange collection there and road transport over roughly 900 km to Czechia, typically two working days with one driver.

Typical imports from the Antwerp area

• plastic granulates (PE, PP, PVC) in bags on pallets, octabins or big bags,
• solvents, acids, resins and additives in drums and IBCs,
• raw materials for paints, adhesives and cosmetics,
• steel coils, beams and plates arriving by sea,
• green coffee from port warehouses, tyres and machinery from overseas.

In the opposite direction, trucks carry Czech engineering products, automotive parts, glass and paper to Belgium.

Dangerous goods and plant access

Bagged granulates are usually non-hazardous and travel on a standard curtainsider. Solvents, acids and flammable resins fall under ADR, so we book only carriers with equipped vehicles and ADR-certified drivers; see our ADR transport service. Please provide the UN number, class, packing group, packaging type and the safety data sheet. The tunnel restriction code matters too, because some tunnels in Belgium and Germany are closed to certain substances. ADR shipments also travel with a dangerous goods transport document and, depending on the quantity, orange plates and written instructions for the driver. Chemical plants in the port operate strict gate procedures: booked slots, protective equipment for drivers and pre-registered number plates.

Steel and heavy cargo

Coils, beams and plates are loaded by crane from the top or side. Coils need a trailer with a coil well and sufficient lashing equipment, which we specify when booking the carrier. For steel from outside the EU, check with your customs agent which safeguard measures and quotas apply before the goods are released.

Green coffee in jute bags or big bags is a foodstuff that easily absorbs odours. We never combine it with chemicals on the same truck and require a clean, dry, odour-free trailer. The same care applies to food-contact plastic granulates, where moisture or dust from a previous load can spoil the whole delivery. Loose granulate without bags is moved in specialised silo trailers, which we can also arrange on request.

Route, tolls and customs

Trucks leave Antwerp either via Liège and Aachen or via Venlo in the Netherlands, then continue through Cologne, Frankfurt and Nuremberg to the Waidhaus/Rozvadov border. Belgium has no general weekend truck ban, but Germany bans trucks over 7.5 tonnes on Sundays and public holidays from midnight to 10 pm. Belgian distance-based toll for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes is included in our price. Central Antwerp is a low-emission zone; the port areas are outside it. Overseas goods are cleared in Belgium or travel under T1 transit to a Czech customs office, the same as on the Rotterdam route. EU goods only need a CMR note and an invoice or delivery note.

Booking tips

Book at least two working days ahead, three for ADR loads, since equipped vehicles are in higher demand and port plants require pre-registration. Confirm the loading reference, opening hours, packaging type, weight and current safety data sheet with your supplier. Smaller quantities travel as pallet groupage; a full truck usually pays off from around 24 tonnes of granulate. Our dispatch replies Monday to Friday, 8:00–18:00, usually within 30 minutes, and the freight calculator shows an estimate straight away.