Port Klang expects to handle 7.74 million TEUs of goods this year, up 8.7 per cent from the year earlier, as the outlook for 2008 remains favourable.
Port Klang Authority chairman Datuk Chor Chee Heung said the volume of conventional cargo handled by Port Klang is also likely to grow by 5.7 per cent to 143.3 million tonnes this year, from 135.5 million tonnes in 2007.
Port Klang, comprising Northport and Westports, achieved a container throughput of 7.12 million TEUs last year, up 12.5 per cent from 6.33 million TEUs in 2006.
Of the total throughput handled by Port Klang, Westports accounted for 60.5 per cent and Northport the remaining 39.5 per cent.
Westports' container throughput reached 4.31 million TEUs last year, up 18 per cent from 3.67 million TEUs a year ago, while Northport handled a total of 2.81 million TEUs, a five per cent growth from 2.66 TEUs.
Total transhipment volume handled by Port Klang was 4.1 million TEUs last year, up 15.8 per cent from 3.5 million TEUs in 2006. It represented 57.7 per cent of Port Klang's total throughput.
"Overall, Malaysian ports last year saw a 12.8 per cent increase in container throughput. They handled 15.3 million TEUs compared with 13.6 million TEUs in 2006," said Chor.
"Of this total Port Klang contributed 46 per cent, maintaining its position as the country's largest container port," he added.
Meanwhile, Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Johor remained as the country's second-largest container port after Port Klang with a total of 5.47 million TEUs being handled last year. It recorded a growth of 14 per cent from 4.77 million TEUs in 2006.
Percentage-wise, Bintulu Port remained the fastest growing port in the country with a growth of 29 per cent to 248,156 TEUs from 191,824 TEUs in the previous year.
Johor Port handled 927,285 TEUs, up five per cent compared with 880,611 TEUs in 2006, while container volume at Penang Port grew nine per cent to 925,991 TEUs from 849,730 TEUs in 2006.
Kuantan Port saw a marginal increase of two per cent to 127,600 TEUs for 2007, compared with 124,834 TEUs a year ago.
The growth was attributed to a general increase in production by its existing clients and new clients such as Panasonic Malaysia.
Other reasons for the increment were due to some cargoes which were conventionally handled previously, such as wheat and fertilisers are now containerised.