S'pore port achieves record tonnage

S'pore port achieves record tonnage

SINGAPORE: Singapore's shipping port handled a record 971.7 million gross tons in 2002, eclipsing the 960.1 million for the previous year, maritime authorities said Thursday.

"This marked a 1.2 percent rise year-on-year," the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said in a statement.

Container ships contributed the biggest share of the shipping tonnage last year with 347.3 million gross tons or 35.7 percent, the MPA said.

Tankers were the second biggest item with 313.3 million gross tons or 32.2 percent, followed by bulk carriers with 173.1 million gross tons or 17.8 percent of total shipping tonnage, it said.

Container throughput rose an annual 8.8 percent from 15.57 million 20-foot equivalent units to 16.94 million in 2002, while total cargo handled was 335.12 million tons, up 6.9 percent from 313.49 million tons in 2001.

Singapore operates one of the world's busiest ports but has seen increasing challenge from neighboring countries, especially Malaysia. -- AFP