Container throughput at the Port of Halifax increased by 41.4 percent to 99,450 TEUs from the same quarter last year. The strong increase extended the volume recovery that began in the second half of last year when containerized cargo throughput increased by 25.8 percent over the first six months of 2009.
In the first quarter containerized exports increased by 49.2 percent year-over-year, while containerized imports increased by 33.4 percent.
First-quarter container volume was on a par with the first quarter of 2008, when 100,304 20-foot equivalent units moved through the port, but fell 18.8 percent lower than the port’s record container year in 2005, when it handled 122,531 TEUs.
While bulk cargo volume declined in the first quarter, breakbulk and roll-on, roll-off cargo volumes increased from the same quarter last year, which resulted in overall cargo growth year-over-year.
The Port of Halifax said it expects an overall improvement in its cargo volumes in 2010 which is, in part, attributable to new shipping lines that instituted service at Halifax in the latter part of 2009 as well as the inauguration of new service strings in 2010.
Breakbulk cargo increased by 30.3 percent in the first quarter compared to the year-earlier quarter. Total breakbulk cargo was 35,561 metric tons in the first quarter. The port attributed the increase to strong demand for steel rail imports.
Ro-ro cargo increased by 22.2 percent tons year-over-year to 59,871 metric in the first quarter, due to an increase in automobile imports and exports through the port.
Bulk cargo volume dropped 13.9 percent year-over-year to 1,490,649 metric tons in the first quarter because of a drop in crude oil imports and gypsum exports.
In the first quarter containerized exports increased by 49.2 percent year-over-year, while containerized imports increased by 33.4 percent.
First-quarter container volume was on a par with the first quarter of 2008, when 100,304 20-foot equivalent units moved through the port, but fell 18.8 percent lower than the port’s record container year in 2005, when it handled 122,531 TEUs.
While bulk cargo volume declined in the first quarter, breakbulk and roll-on, roll-off cargo volumes increased from the same quarter last year, which resulted in overall cargo growth year-over-year.
The Port of Halifax said it expects an overall improvement in its cargo volumes in 2010 which is, in part, attributable to new shipping lines that instituted service at Halifax in the latter part of 2009 as well as the inauguration of new service strings in 2010.
Breakbulk cargo increased by 30.3 percent in the first quarter compared to the year-earlier quarter. Total breakbulk cargo was 35,561 metric tons in the first quarter. The port attributed the increase to strong demand for steel rail imports.
Ro-ro cargo increased by 22.2 percent tons year-over-year to 59,871 metric in the first quarter, due to an increase in automobile imports and exports through the port.
Bulk cargo volume dropped 13.9 percent year-over-year to 1,490,649 metric tons in the first quarter because of a drop in crude oil imports and gypsum exports.