Westports throughput up 20% in first half
Container throughput at Westports in Port Klang, Malaysia, rose 20 per cent to 2.1 million TEUs in the first half of this year, due to growing transhipment and local cargo activities.
Local cargo, which accounted for 27 per cent of total container throughput, grew 10 per cent to 571,000 TEUs as compared with the previous year.
Westports said it is on track to achieve the targeted throughput for local cargo of 1.3 million TEUs by the end of this year, boosted by the fact that the Royal Malaysian Customs is moving its operations back to Westports' premises later this year.
The Customs Department moved out from Westports early last year to the Selangor Customs Headquarters located about a kilometre from the port.
Freight forwarders and container hauliers have raised objections to the move, saying it has hampered timeliness and to a great extent, their efficiency.
Meanwhile, transhipment cargo grew faster than local cargo with a rate of 24 per cent in the first half of this year. The volume of transhipment cargo handled during this period totalled 1.37 million TEUs.
"Based on the increase in local cargo and transhipment activities, the port is likely to surpass its target of 4.2 million TEUs this year," Westports said.
In terms of conventional cargo, Westports handled 4.1 million tonnes for the first six months of this year.
"Every single increment in volume growth puts Westports a step in the right direction. We already command a 63 per cent share of the container cargo market in Port Klang," Westports Malaysia executive chairman G. Gnanalingam said.
Revenue has also grown steadily. Westports posted a revenue of RM400 million in the January to June period, up 14 per cent from a year earlier.
"To keep up with the trend in rising volume growth, a total of US$115.89 million is being invested on a 600m extension of wharf, 24.3ha of additional yard space and four additional quay cranes. With this, Westports is set to see more improvements as competitiveness will be enhanced and productivity levels will be boosted further," said Gnanalingam.
Local cargo, which accounted for 27 per cent of total container throughput, grew 10 per cent to 571,000 TEUs as compared with the previous year.
Westports said it is on track to achieve the targeted throughput for local cargo of 1.3 million TEUs by the end of this year, boosted by the fact that the Royal Malaysian Customs is moving its operations back to Westports' premises later this year.
The Customs Department moved out from Westports early last year to the Selangor Customs Headquarters located about a kilometre from the port.
Freight forwarders and container hauliers have raised objections to the move, saying it has hampered timeliness and to a great extent, their efficiency.
Meanwhile, transhipment cargo grew faster than local cargo with a rate of 24 per cent in the first half of this year. The volume of transhipment cargo handled during this period totalled 1.37 million TEUs.
"Based on the increase in local cargo and transhipment activities, the port is likely to surpass its target of 4.2 million TEUs this year," Westports said.
In terms of conventional cargo, Westports handled 4.1 million tonnes for the first six months of this year.
"Every single increment in volume growth puts Westports a step in the right direction. We already command a 63 per cent share of the container cargo market in Port Klang," Westports Malaysia executive chairman G. Gnanalingam said.
Revenue has also grown steadily. Westports posted a revenue of RM400 million in the January to June period, up 14 per cent from a year earlier.
"To keep up with the trend in rising volume growth, a total of US$115.89 million is being invested on a 600m extension of wharf, 24.3ha of additional yard space and four additional quay cranes. With this, Westports is set to see more improvements as competitiveness will be enhanced and productivity levels will be boosted further," said Gnanalingam.