Taiwan's Kaohsiung risks losing spot in top ten port list

During the first eight months of 2008, container cargo growth has remained flat at the Port of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan.

This is raising concerns that the port may slip from its number eight spot among the world's top ten container ports. According to figures provided by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Kaohsiung Port handled 6.72 million TEU between January and August, the same amount recorded during the corresponding period a year earlier. However, during this period in 2007 the port registered 4.4 percent growth, or 283,380 TEU compared to 2006. In 2007, the port handled a total of 10.25 million TEU, setting a new record and representing an increase of 4.9 percent over the previous year. Kaohsiung was ranked the third busiest container port in 2000, but slipped to sixth place in 2006, and then to the number eight spot in 2007. The top five ports worldwide in 2007 were Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Busan. The Port of Kaohsiung is said to be now behind China's ports of Ningbo and Guangzhou, which were in 11th and 12th place, respectively, last year. So far Dubai, Rotterdam and Hamburg, which were ranked sixth, seventh and ninth in 2007 have not released updated container throughput figures, so it is not yet clear whether Kaohsiung can maintain its top ten ranking this year.
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