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Hong Kong looks ready to regain its status as the world's busiest container port from Singapore.

 It handled an estimated 16.1 million teus (20-ft equivalent unit) last year.

 Secretary for Trade and Industry Chau Tak-hay, replying to a question by legislator Hui Cheung-ching, said the figure represented a 10 per cent increase in container throughput over 1998.

 Port and Maritime Board deputy secretary Roger Tupper said: 'This is the best estimate we have for today, and the collection of the final figures, including river trade and mid-stream will not be available until mid-March.'  According to Singapore port, its estimated container throughput for last year was 15.9 million teu.

  Hong Kong port's throughput in river trade and mid-stream surged in December, when Singapore's throughput is said to have slowed.

 Mr Chau said the Government was making good progress in implementing a series of measures to enhance the competitiveness of the container terminals and the container freight industry.

 The tendering procedures for construction of Container Terminal 9 (CT9) had been completed, he said, and the actual construction was expected to start in May.

 'This will include the dredging of the Rambler Channel to 15.5 metres deep so that the terminal will be able to handle new-generation container ships of even larger sizes,' he added.

 Upon completion in 2004, CT9 will have six berths and port capacity will be increased by 2.6 million teu.

 Construction of supporting road infrastructure was well under way, Mr Chau said.

 Other measures had been taken to ease the congestion of cross-boundary container truck traffic by setting up additional immigration/customs kiosks and implementation of the 'empty goods-vehicle lanes' arrangement, he said.

 To further enhance efficiency of existing facilities, the Government is to complete a port back-up facilities and land requirement study in the first quarter of the year.

 Another study on the development of Hong Kong into a replenishment port for ship bunkering will be completed by the middle of the year to enhance the SAR's support for the trade.

 'We are also planning to review the port cargo growth trends and our current port development strategy,' Mr Chau said.

PORTS 



Late surge helps SAR win back crown as container-throughput king