REPORT: WORLD PORTS TO HANDLE MORE THAN 400 MILLION TEUS BY 2010

REPORT: WORLD PORTS TO HANDLE MORE THAN 400 MILLION TEUS BY 2010    World container throughput will increase by between 74 and 92 percent between 2001 and 2010, to reach between 423 million and 468 million TEUs a year, according to a report published by U.K.-based Ocean Shipping Consultants.
   The consultants said that the lower and higher ends of its forecasts reflect different economic scenarios. World container volume, including transshipment container moves, totaled 244 million TEUs in 2001 and 266 million TEUs in 2002, the report said.
   Far Eastern port volumes are expected to continue expanding at an above-average rate, with 85-103 percent growth predicted over 2001-10, to 205 million-226 million TEUs.
   In the Americas, growth of 59-77 percent is forecast over the same period, to 79 million-88 million TEUs in 2010. North American ports alone are expected to see volumes increase from 31 million TEUs in 2001 to between 47 million and 51 million TEUs in 2010.
   In Europe and the Mediterranean, the report forecasts a 62-75 percent rise in volume, to 93 million-101 million TEUs in 2010.
   “World containerport demand has expanded rapidly in recent decades, and continued to grow even in the difficult economic conditions of 2001 and 2002,” Ocean Shipping Consultants said. Growth has been driven by the expansion of trade, the ongoing conversion of cargoes to containerization and the development of transshipment.
   Between 1995 and 2001, world container transshipment throughput more than doubled, to 55 million TEUs, representing 22 percent of total world port traffic in that year, according to the report.
   World containerport demand increased by 69 percent over 1995-2001, to 244 million TEUs.