Japan's Nagoya container traffic up 4.9 percent

International container traffic during the first six months of 2011 at the Port of Nagoya rose 4.9 percent year-over-year, as auto exports grew 38.3 percent at Japan's top global trade port and gateway for major auto manufacturers, the Journal of Commerce reported.

Of the 1,945,947 20-foot equivalent container units handled between January and June, exports, up 5 percent year-over-year, accounted for 617,341 TEUs. Imports rose 4.8 percent to 578,606 TEUs during the same period.

The Port of Nagoya handled 22,305,908 tons of international container cargo during the same period, up 4.5 percent from a year earlier.  Container cargo exports rose 1 percent to 10,942,578 tons, while container cargo imports increased 8.2 percent to 11,363,330 tons.

Auto parts exports accounted for 38.3 percent, or 4,249,674 tons, of container cargo trade during the six-month period. Nagoya City is the capital of Aichi Prefecture, home to many auto manufacturers, including Toyota Motor Corp.

The Port of Nagoya’s container cargo exports to the U.S edged up 0.8 percent year-over-year to 1,597,091 tons, while U.S. container cargo imports rose 3.2 percent to 981,234 tons.