Suez terminal volume up 34 percent in 2008

The Suez Canal Container Terminal said throughput grew 34 percent in 2008. Container traffic totaled 2.4 million TEUs at the Port Said terminal, which is operated by APM Terminals under a 30-year lease. That accounted for around 20 percent of transshipment traffic in the East Mediterranean and Black Sea markets.

The terminal stated that throughput has grown by about 35 percent since 2007, consisting mainly of transshipment volumes for the international market in line with increasing box throughput for import/ export business.The global slowdown has, however, had an impact on SCCT’s container traffic, with trade between Asia and Europe contracting in the last two quarters of 2008 after growing by 10 to 15 percent in the previous three years.

Martin Pedersen, SCCT’s commercial manager, said he expects volumes to remain stable or exceed 2008 levels in 2009.

Source: http://www.joc.com