Hong Kong's container traffic rises 7%

Container shipping traffic through Hong Kong grew 7 percent in 2004, according to preliminary estimates from the city's Port Development Council.

A total of 21.93 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) passed through the container terminals and other cargo-handling facilities of the world¡¯s busiest port last year. In 2003, the port's throughput was 20.45 million TEUs.

For the month of December, Hong Kong¡¯s port handled 1.79 million TEUs, representing a decline of 2.9 percent from the same month last year.

The Kwai Chung container terminals, which handle the bulk of Hong Kong¡¯s traffic, had throughput of 13.43 million TEUs, an 11.2 percent increase over the previous year.

Throughput in Shenzhen, comprised mainly of the Yantian, Chiwan and Shekou terminals, reached 13.65 million TEUs last year, a rise of 28 percent from 2003.

The pace of throughput growth in Shenzhen is expected to accelerate further as newly completed berths add to the port¡¯s handling capacity. By contrast, no new berths are planned in Hong Kong until 2015 at the soonest.

Source: Shenzhen Daily-Agencies