Taipei - Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong continue to
dominate world container port rankings, while Taiwan's main port of
Kaohsiung Harbour slid two places to No 8 last year, a Taiwanese
government report said Wednesday.
In 2007, several Chinese ports showed the biggest increase in
container volume, with Shanghai Port replacing Hong Kong Port as
world's No 2 busiest container port, the the Transport Ministry
reportsaid.
Rotterdam and Dubai surpassed Kaohsiung in 2007, to snatch the 6th
and 7th place among the world's busiest container ports.
Although Kaohsiung handled 10.26 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent
unit) in 2007, up 4.93 from 2006, the increase was too small compared
to that of other ports.
The world's top eight container ports in 2007 were:
1) Singapore (27.94 million TEUs)
2) Shanghai (26.15 million TEUs)
3) Hong Kong (26.00 million TEUs)
4) Shenzhen (21.10 million TEUs)
5) Pusan (13.27 million TEUs)
6) Rotterdam (10.79 million TEUs)
7) Dubai (10.68 million TEUs)
8) Kaohsiung (10.26 million TEUs)
The report warned that Kaohsiung Harbour's world ranking would
continue to slide in 2008 because in the first two months this year,
China's Guangzhou, Ningbo ang Zhoushan ports' container volume all
reached 1.65 million TEUs, higher than Kaohsiung's 1.62 million TEUs.
In the early 1990s, Kaohsiung Harbour ranked third in the world.
But in recent years, its world ranking has fallen quickly owing to
Taiwan's five-decade ban on shipping links with China and expansion
of mega-container ports in neighboring countries, especially China-
the world's largest production base and consumer market.
Taiwan's incoming President Ma Ying-jeou has promised to open
direct sea and air links with China after he is inaugurated on May
20, to ease tension with China and to revitalize Taiwan's
deteriorating economy.
USA
Your Talkback on this Story