Ctg port records 8.55pc growth in container handling
Sunday, 10 January 2010
Jasim Uddin Haroon
The country's containerised trade has defied the global economic meltdown as the premier seaport Chittagong achieved an 8.55 per cent container handling growth in the last calendar year.
Shipping circles said this was mainly because of the rise in import volume.
The Chittagong port, the principal port of the country, handles 92 per cent of the export-import trade worth US$37 billion.
The port handled 1,161,469 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2009 against 1,069,999 TEUs, port statistics shows.
Of them, the number of import (including empty) containers was 584,176 TEUs in 2009 against 531,954 TEUs in 2008. Export containers (including empty) totalled 577,293 TEUs against 531,954 TEUs in 2008.
A total of 940 feeder vessels carrying containers called at Ctg port in 2009 against that of 962 in 2008.
Shipping circles said the large-sized feeders have replaced small vessels.
Commodore RU Ahmed, chairman of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) told the FE: "The country's trade is rising as the number of incoming loaded containers was more last year."
Captain Rafiqul Islam, country director of Singapore-based PIL, a leading feeder operator, said: "Ship's stay time has been reduced in the country and this is also a major reason behind the rise in container shipments. Now a vessel undertakes 24 voyages which were 16 per annum at best."
The Chittagong port's turnaround time or ships dwelt time, an indicator of port's performance, was on an average 2.48 days in 2009.
Turnaround time of vessels was more than 10 days during the fag end of 2006 when political chaos prevailed in the country.
The country's containerised trade has defied the global economic meltdown as the premier seaport Chittagong achieved an 8.55 per cent container handling growth in the last calendar year.
Shipping circles said this was mainly because of the rise in import volume.
The Chittagong port, the principal port of the country, handles 92 per cent of the export-import trade worth US$37 billion.
The port handled 1,161,469 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2009 against 1,069,999 TEUs, port statistics shows.
Of them, the number of import (including empty) containers was 584,176 TEUs in 2009 against 531,954 TEUs in 2008. Export containers (including empty) totalled 577,293 TEUs against 531,954 TEUs in 2008.
A total of 940 feeder vessels carrying containers called at Ctg port in 2009 against that of 962 in 2008.
Shipping circles said the large-sized feeders have replaced small vessels.
Commodore RU Ahmed, chairman of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) told the FE: "The country's trade is rising as the number of incoming loaded containers was more last year."
Captain Rafiqul Islam, country director of Singapore-based PIL, a leading feeder operator, said: "Ship's stay time has been reduced in the country and this is also a major reason behind the rise in container shipments. Now a vessel undertakes 24 voyages which were 16 per annum at best."
The Chittagong port's turnaround time or ships dwelt time, an indicator of port's performance, was on an average 2.48 days in 2009.
Turnaround time of vessels was more than 10 days during the fag end of 2006 when political chaos prevailed in the country.