PH ports’ cargo throughput up 12.5% in first semester

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PMO-South Harbor, which came third, registered a 15% improvement to 495,324 TEUs from 430,166 TEU
PMO-South Harbor, which came third, registered a 15% improvement to 495,324 TEUs from 430,166 TEU
The Manila South Harbor (in photo) handled 495,324 twenty-foot equivalent units from 430,166 TEUs in the first half of 2016. Photo courtesy of South Harbor operator Asian Terminals Inc.

Cargo volume handled by Philippine ports grew 12.5% in the first half of 2016, with both foreign and domestic segments registering improvement during the period, as the Philippine economy continues to perform strongly.

Data from the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) showed that cargo volume handled at ports under its jurisdiction grew to 119.787 million metric tons (mmt) from 106.462 mmt in the first half of 2015.

Foreign cargoes, which accounted for 61% of the total volume, increased 17% to 73.488 mmt from 62.76 mmt in the previous year. Domestic shipments, which had a share of 39%, likewise rose 5.9% to 46.299 mmt from 43.702 mmt in the first six months of 2015.

Imports for the first six months of 2016 went up 18% to 41.732 mmt from 35.34 mmt in the same period last year. Exports also improved 15.8% to 31.756 mmt from 27.42 mmt.

The Philippines was Asia’s consistent top imports performer for the first half of 2016, as the country’s merchandise imports grew 15.4% in June 2016. However, despite the increase in volume, the value of exports has continuously declined for the first six months of 2016, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

In terms of regions, Luzon accounted for 57% of the total cargo volume with 67.987 mmt, followed by Mindanao with a 29% contribution or 34.524 mmt, and Visayas with 17.276 mmt or 14%.

Port Management Office (PMO)-North Harbor (Manila) handled the highest volume for the period with 16.160 mmt, up 24% from 13.071 mmt in the previous year. PMO Surigao followed, with 12.477 mmt. PMO-Surigao’s volume was mainly contributed by private ports and was a 19% increment from 10.47 mmt last year. PMO-Batangas was third with 12.182 mmt, jumping 92% from last year’s 6.342 mmt.

Container traffic for the first half of 2016, meanwhile, recorded an 8% increase to 3.11 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) from 2.882 million TEUs in the same period last year.

PPA ports recorded a 7% hike in foreign boxes to 1.865 million TEUs from 1.737 million TEUs, while domestic containers registered at 1.244 million TEUs, up 8.7% from 1.145 million TEUs the previous year.

Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) remained the top handler of containers with 1.046 million TEUs, and was still the top performer in terms of foreign boxes. MICT’s figure for the first half of 2016 was 7% higher than the 977,336 TEUs handled in the first half of 2015. PMO-North Harbor followed with 611,032 TEUs, an 11.7% growth from 546,916 TEUs recorded in the previous year. PMO-South Harbor, which came third, registered a 15% improvement to 495,324 TEUs from 430,166 TEUs.

PPA, for the first time, included separate data for roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) operations at its ports. For the first half of 2016, the ports authority said RoRo traffic reached 2.772 million vehicles. Of the total, inward traffic was 1.376 million vehicles while outward traffic was 1.396 million vehicles. One of the current administration’s plans for the transportation industry is to modernize and expand RoRo routes to increase traffic on nautical highways.

Ship calls for the first half, meanwhile, grew 10.6% to 219,640 against 198,515 in the same period the preceding year. Of the total, domestic vessel calls increased 10% to 213,701 from 193,778, while foreign ship calls rose 25% to 5,939 from 4,737.

Passenger traffic was likewise robust, with a 9% jump to 37.825 million from 34.286 million in the first half of 2015. – Roumina Pablo