August 3, 2004
Kaohsiung Harbor, renowned as the world's fourth busiest transshipment port and the fourth largest for cargo shipped into the United States, has seen its container traffic grow by over 10% on the year to a record-high 4.81 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) in the first half of the year. After setting an annual target at 9.2 million TEU at the beginning of the year, harbor authorities have raised their target twice this year, first to 9.55 million TEU and most recently to 9.7 million TEU.
In 2003, despite the impact of the global SARS epidemic, Kaohsiung Harbor managed to move a remarkable 8.9 million TEU of containers. This year's rapid growth and record-high traffic, combined with the decisions in March of many shipping and distribution companies to sign contracts to set up in the harbor's free trade zone, are the primary reasons behind the decision of port authorities to raise the annual TEU target for 2004.
Kaohsiung Harbor plans to build four new container piers at the site of the nearby Hungmao Kang fishing harbor. A number of shipping companies have already signed up as partners on this joint investment BOT project.
Kaohsiung Harbor is also working on the diversification of its operations. This effort includes the development of the free trade zone and the conversion of an idle warehouse area into a tourism and recreation area.
(Economic Daily News)
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