Port Klang, the national load centre, has been experiencing lower import and export cargo handling volume in the past two weeks due to the global economic crisis.
Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager Lim Thean Shiang said both port operators in Port Klang - Northport (M) Bhd and Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd - had expressed concern on the matter.
“The global economic turmoil will definitely affect both terminal operators’ performance in the current quarter,” he told a press conference on Thursday.
He said the recent reduction in volume could be due to the two major consumer markets that both ports were currently serving, namely Europe and the US.
“Today, the US retail and automobile businesses have slumped,” he said. Despite the gloomy outlook, Lim was confident that both ports would be able to meet Port Klang’s volume target of eight million TEUs (20-ft equivalent units) based on the volume growth in the first nine months this year.
Last year, Port Klang handled about 7.2 million TEUs.
Northport has recorded a 13% jump in its container cargo handling volume to 2.3 million TEUs for the first nine months this year against the same period last year.
Westports has posted a 19.7% increase in its container cargo handling to 3.8 million TEUs for the the same period.
In total, Port Klang’s container handling volume has swelled by 17.1% to 6.1 million TEUs for the first three quarters of this year versus the same period last year.
Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager Lim Thean Shiang said both port operators in Port Klang - Northport (M) Bhd and Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd - had expressed concern on the matter.
“The global economic turmoil will definitely affect both terminal operators’ performance in the current quarter,” he told a press conference on Thursday.
He said the recent reduction in volume could be due to the two major consumer markets that both ports were currently serving, namely Europe and the US.
“Today, the US retail and automobile businesses have slumped,” he said. Despite the gloomy outlook, Lim was confident that both ports would be able to meet Port Klang’s volume target of eight million TEUs (20-ft equivalent units) based on the volume growth in the first nine months this year.
Last year, Port Klang handled about 7.2 million TEUs.
Northport has recorded a 13% jump in its container cargo handling volume to 2.3 million TEUs for the first nine months this year against the same period last year.
Westports has posted a 19.7% increase in its container cargo handling to 3.8 million TEUs for the the same period.
In total, Port Klang’s container handling volume has swelled by 17.1% to 6.1 million TEUs for the first three quarters of this year versus the same period last year.