Singapore retains the busiest box port in the world

Singapore port remained the container port crown of the world in 2008 with close to 30 million TEU, enough to keep it ahead of Shanghai at 28 million TEU.

The Singapore Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) announced that container traffic through Singapore port in 2008 hit 29.9 million TEU, a 7.1 per cent increase from the 27.9 million TEU handled in 2007.

The total cargo tonnage handled by the Port of Singapore last year climbed 6.5 per cent over 2007 to reach 515.3 million tonnes.

But while the growth figures for the year as a whole still look firm, November saw Singapore? first contraction in container volumes month-on-month since 2001.

Singapore is home to more than 100 international shipping groups now. The maritime cluster as a whole employs more than 100,000 people and contributes some seven per cent to Singapore? GDP.

Vessel arrivals in terms of shipping tonnage reached 1.6 billion gross tons (GT) in 2008, an increase of some 11.1 per cent from the 1.5 billion GT record set in 2007. Container ships were the top contributors, accounting for 36.5 per cent of the total vessel arrival tonnage. Tankers came in a close second, contributing 29.9 per cent to the total figure.

The total volume of bunkers sold in the Port of Singapore reached a new record in 2008 when it hit 34.9 million tonnes as of the end of December. 2008? sales surpassed 2007? figures by 10.7 per cent.

The Singapore Registry of Ships also achieved growth, with the total tonnage of ships under the Singapore flag growing by some 10.4 per cent over 2007 to reach 43.7 million GT as of the end of December, 2008.<Korea Shipping Gazette>