East Asia port growth study

With P3 abandoned and Maersk/ MSC now planning 2M, this could lead to more far-reaching changes in the liner shipping business.

Container ports in the north, south and east are vying to retain, or win, main gateway status.

Following last October’s confirmation that the planned Panama Canal expansion will be going ahead, significant new opportunities and trading patterns are likely for container ships, according to research commissioned by Lloyd’s Register (LR) from Ocean Shipping Consultants Ltd (OSC).

Starting with our inaugural edition in July 1994,WorldCargo News has published every July a record of new orders for ship-to-shore container gantry cranes logged in the previous 12-month (July-June) period. The table opposite shows the headline figures that in total come to 2270 cranes. That comes to something in excess of US$11B of value, so this is a huge industry.

A new study* charts the likely course of containerport demand in Europe and the Mediterranean area over the next decade.

The Arctic ports of Kirkenes (Norway), Murmansk and Archangel are touted as potentially viable gateways for north west Russia’s growing containerised trade.