Singapore said it handled 13.5 percent less container traffic in 2009 from the previous year as the global downturn squeezed world trade. AFP
Singapore, one of the world’s busiest ports, said it handled 13.5 percent less container traffic in 2009 from the previous year as the global downturn squeezed world trade.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said in a statement released late Thursday the city-state handled 25.9 million standard six-metre (20-foot) container units last year, down from 29.9 million in 2008.
Total cargo tonnage fell 8.9 percent to 469.6 million tonnes, the port authority said.
“We had to contend with global economic uncertainties, falling freight rates and tightening liquidity,” Transport Minister Raymond Lim said in a speech late Thursday.
“Singapore’s cargo and container throughputs dipped, alongside that of the other major ports.”
Singapore is a regional trading port with shippers using the city-state as a transit point for transporting goods.
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