Port operator Westport Holdings has achieved a total throughput of 4.5 million TEU, an increase of 20% on 2017’s figures, for the first half of this year.
The Malaysian firm, which is one of the two operators at Port Klang — the country’s main shipping gateway, saw particular growth in its Asia-Australia and Intra-Asia routes, both of which saw traffic rise by 23% and 10% respectively for year-on-year figures from 2017.
Intra-Asia shipping contributed a 61% boost to its overall container volume.
Westport also hit an after tax profit of $60 million for the first half 2018.
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The figures are the first from Westport since it completed the CT8 and CT9 terminals in 2017.
The facilities, designed to ensure Port Klang remains Malaysia’s biggest container gateway, increased the company’s annual handling capacity to 14 million TEU.
Datuk Ruben Emir Gnanalingam, the Group Managing Director of Westports, commented:
“The container shipping industry experienced a major realignment changes in the previous year especially with the formation of new global alliances as well as mergers and acquisitions among the container shipping lines.
“These changes have adversely affected our transhipment volume, but Westports have transitioned successfully towards serving the new services under the Ocean Alliance.
“Based on Westports overall improving container volume momentum, we are at the tailend of establishing a new volume baseline, from which we can establish future growth levels.”
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