Global container throughput`s growth rate came in at 6.8 per cent in the first half, but was down from 7.3 per cent in the same period last year, reported Xinhua. It is expected to increase at a slower pace in 2012 while China`s container throughput is expected to register mild growth, said the SISI report.
European harbours posted bleak volume performances in the first half, while the key port of Antwerp only handled 118 million tonnes of cargo, and slipped two per cent year on year.
But major Asian ports kept growing 6.9 per cent, taking the lead among the global ports with Chinese ports doing better than others in Asia, registering a 7.2 per cent increase in cargo to 4.7 billion tonnes and an 8.6 per cent uptick in container volume to 84.1 million TEU.
Ports in Africa and America posted flatter results in container throughput in the first half. Cape Town posted a 26.7 per cent increase while the largest US port Los Angeles handled four million TEU, a rise of 6.4 per cent.
Container throughput volumes at China`s major ports will continue to rise, but the growth is expected to slow from the breakneck pace notched up last year, according to a report published by the Centre for Forecasting Science under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
"Global container throughput volumes will fall this year because of the economic downturn, as the shipping market outlook remains bleak," said Wang Shouyang, director of the centre.
The report said Dalian will see the fastest growth rate for throughput volume in the world`s top 20 ports, marking a 24 per cent rise year on year. Shanghai will remain the world`s busiest container port in 2012, as total throughput will reach 33.2 to 33.6 million TEU, up 4.9 to 6.2 per cent from one year earlier. Tianjin will be among the world`s top 10 ports, and half of the top 20 ports will be Chinese ports this year.