ASIA: Shenzhen to overtake Hong Kong as third-busiest box port
China’s port of Shenzhen is on target to knock Hong Kong out of the top three container ports this year, if its half-year throughput is anything to go by.
Shenzhen, which Lloyd’s List Intelligence ranked as the world’s fourth-busiest container port last year with volumes of 21.1m teu, has recorded a 2.5% increase in box throughput in the first six months of the year, handling 11.1m teu.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong recorded a 7% year-on-year decline in volumes between January and June to 10.7m teu.
Shenzhen transportation commission spokesman Dong Yanze told Shenzhen Daily that the growth was due to increases in cargo volumes between ports in the area.
He said the terminal complexes at Yantian, Chiwan and Da Chan Bay saw volumes between ports in the area increase by 30%, 17% and 15% during the first six months of the year.
Shenzhen saw volumes between local ports increase 20% to 1.4m teu during the first half of 2012.
Data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence shows that Shanghai was the world’s busiest container port last year with volumes of 29.7m teu.
Singapore came second with 26.4m teu and Hong Kong third with 21.3m teu, but Shenzhen handled just 194,000 teu less than Hong Kong.
All four ports reported a drop in box volumes last year.
Source: Lloyds List
