Hong Kong port's container throughput is expected to grow by only 3 to 4 per cent this year, having been hit by the Asian financial crisis, according to Port and Maritime Board (PMB) deputy secretary Roger Tupper.
The growth rate decline is related to the loss of intra-Asia cargo and the decline in exports to Japan.
'But if we look at the main trunk routes to the United States and Europe, we can see good growth on these routes,' Mr Tupper said.
Intra-Asia business has shrunk because of currency devaluations in many Asian countries, slashing their capacity to import raw materials for manufacturing.
Mr Tupper said the figures provided to the PMB by Hong Kong terminal operators showed growth in container throughput would be about 4 per cent this year.
'We pretty much rely on mainland activities and they have maintained pretty good growth,' he said, adding that the Shenzhen ports, which handled 1.2 million teu (20 ft equivalent units) of containers last year, anticipated two million teu this year.
