Singapore still world’s busiest port in vessel tonnage

Singapore still world’s busiest port in vessel tonnage    Singapore remained the world’s busiest port in 2003 when measured in the total tonnage of vessels that call at the port, with a record 986.4 million gross tons, up 1.5 percent compared to 2002.
   The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore reported that the increase was achieved despite a 5.2 percent fall in vessel calls, to 135,386 calls in 2003.
   Container ships contributed the major tonnage share, with 361 million gross tons, or 36.6 percent of the total gross tonnage. Next highest for shipping tonnage were tankers, with 311.8 million gross tons, representing 31.6 percent of the tonnage total.
   The traffic of containers handled by the port rose 8.7 percent last year, to 18.41 million TEUs, and total cargo tonnage handled was up 3.8 percent at 349.7 million tons.
   The maritime authority also reported an increase of 3.5 percent, to 20.8 million tons, in the sale of bunker fuels at the port. It said that Singapore remained the top bunkering port in the world for 2003.
   The Maritime and Port Authority said the gross tonnage of vessels under the Singapore registry of ships achieved a new record of 25.57 million gross tons, up 8.6 per cent from 2002, with 3,063 vessels. The registry remains the seventh largest merchant fleet in the world, and the largest in Asia, the maritime authority said.