Port of Kwangyang advertises container terminals to shippers from Kyoung-in

?In spite of taking off late, we will draw shippers through aggressive marketing.?
Kwangyang port delegates, consisting of Kwangyang city, Yeosoo Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and Suncheon Gwangyang Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) visited Seoul in order to promote container terminals in the Port of Kwangyang on November 14, 2002.
The delegates included terminal operators in Kwangyang, such as Korea Express, Hanjin Shipping, Global Kwangyang Container Terminal, Dongbu Corporation and Hutchison Korea Terminal.
Based on government policy to foster Korea as a hub in the North East Asia, the Port of Kwangyang is looking forward to handling 1.3 million TEUs of cargoes annually this year, 4 years since it first opened in 1998. Especially, as it was recently designated as an Economic Special Zone and Customs Free Zone, it is paving the way for itself as an international logistic complex, in addition to cargo storage, transshipment cargo handling and high value-added logistics activities such as, assembly, packaging and processing.
It also tried to draw foreign capital to the port by creating a foreigner-friendly environment.
The City of Kwangyang provided resident corporations in the port with various tax benefits such as, customs exemptions, zero rates for VAT, and other reductions and exemptions for corporate taxes and land taxes. It also planned to rent real estate to investment corporations at very reasonable prices for long-term leases.
Surrounded by mountains, islands as well as water over 20 meters deep, the Port of Kwangyang provides stable service for more than 360 days annually. Also very close to China, it is capable of handling transshipment cargoes to and from China.
Using a broad container yard, it provides on-dock service and 24?hour logistic services, guaranteeing no demurrage and no accumulation of cargoes. Shippers also enjoy exemptions from wharfage and container tax. Shipping liners benefit by saving terminal charges, towage and pilotage. Through these reductions and exemptions, shippers in Seoul save 66,200 won per container when using the Port of Kwangyang instead of Pusan.
Kwangyang revealed its plan to secure 33 berths in container terminals and 82 berths in general terminals by 2011. When finished with these acquisitions, Kwangyang will be capable of handling 9.13 million TEUs of container cargoes as well as 1.8 billion tons of general cargoes, and will be in contention to be one of the world?s top 10 container terminals.
It also suggested building four berths in 3-1 phase terminals in order to accommodate even 12,000 TEU vessels and keep pace with the trend toward larger vessels.