Containers handled by Malaysian ports increased 431% in 10 years

In ten years, the volume of containers that were handled by the ports in the country has increased by 431%.  According to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy, the total TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units, used to measure containers) handled last year was 13.6 million, compared to 2.56 million in 1996.  "This growth is spearheaded by Port Klang and Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), the two leading container ports in the country," he said.  Chan's opening speech was read out by Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas, who later launched the fifth instalment of the Asean Ports and Shipping Conference and Exhibition here.  In his speech, Chan added that he expected the world containerised trade to continue growing faster than the world economy. 

"The growth of the world economy over the last decade was around 3-4% annually, while the global containers handled by ports has increased from 100 million TEUs in 1991 to around 350 million TEUs in 2004," he said.