'Asian ports must cope with growth'<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (AFP): Asia has to beef up its ports and develop new
\nones to ensure that the region's economic vibrancy is not
\nhindered, Singapore's trade and industry minister Yeo Cheow Tong
\nsaid yesterday.<\/p>\n
By 2000, Asian ports were expected to face an annual
\ncontainer-handling demand of 104 million twelve-foot equivalent
\nunits (TEUs), double the earlier estimated demand of around 52
\nmillion TEUs, he said.<\/p>\n
In his opening remarks at the annual meeting of the Federation
\nof ASEAN Shipowners Association here, Yeo said the global
\ncontainer throughput of ASEAN ports was expected to increase by
\nmore than 180 percent from the 1990 volume of 24 million TEUs.<\/p>\n
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), one of the
\nfastest growing regions in the world, comprises Brunei,
\nIndonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
\nVietnam.<\/p>\n
"The growing trade volume will also generate tremendous
\ndemands for port facilities," Yeo said, referring particularly to
\nintra-Asian cargo volumes growing at an average 12 percent per
\nyear.<\/p>\n
He said that intra-Asian cargo volume was expected to reach
\neight million TEUs by 2000, up from three million TEUs in 1991.<\/p>\n
Yeo noted that Asia has controlling stakes in more than 17,000
\nships or 40 percent of the world's carrying fleet.<\/p>\n
In 1994, Asian shipowners accounted for 10 out of the world's
\ntop 20 container lines compared with only four in 1975, he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asian-ports-must-cope-with-growth-1447893297",
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