Singapore box volume drops 5.8pc in September from August

PORT terminals in Singapore saw their container volume fall 5.8 per cent in September compared to August while posting a September's year-on-year loss of 16 per cent.

Data compiled by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore "show trade at the world's busiest container port is struggling to improve, underlining concerns by policymakers around the world that growth supporting policies may still be needed," reports Reuters.

It noted that most containers handled at Singapore's port are transshipments between the east and west, making it "a barometer of world trade." It added the port's trade volumes fell between October 2008 and this February, but have since stabilised albeit at lower levels than last year.

(Source: Port news)