Asian gateways continued to dominate the global port market in 2018, handling more than three-quarters of the total throughput of the top 50 container ports worldwide.
Indonesia is mulling the introduction of 24-hour operations and fast-tracking a plan to double the number of bonded logistics centers in the country to reduce cargo dwell times at its major ports.
APM Terminals announced Wednesday it will provide container weighing services at 29 locations across its global network to ensure a smooth transition to an international regulation that comes into force on July 1.
The World Bank is assisting Malaysia to develop a national port strategy to better position its ports sector as a critical facilitator of economic growth.
Malaysia’s port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) passed the 8 million 20-foot container mark at the beginning of December, although with less than a month left and volumes slowing down, the 2014 throughput target of 9 million TEUs looks well out of reach.
The persistent congestion clogging major gateway ports in the U.S. and Europe is raising a debate about whether it’s just peak-season volumes causing delays in import shipments or the inability of ports to handle the sharp growth in container ship sizes.
Asia’s ports reported strengthening of container throughput in the first half as the economic recovery of the U.S. and Europe drove up consumer spending and new export orders flooded into Chinese factories.
New Zealand freight and logistics company Kotahi has pledged to provide Maersk Line with 2.5 million 20-foot containers of exports over the next 10 years.
Transshipment hubs in South and Southeast Asia are pouring investment into expanding facilities and adding new equipment to handle the increasing size of container vessels, the new alliance groupings and steadily improving trade.
Port congestion resulting from reduced working hours and higher demand during Ramadan is causing shipping delays in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, prompting new liner surcharges.