CONTAINER throughput at the Manila North Harbor grew 6.03% to 436,312 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in the first half of the year from 409,990 TEUs year-on-year.
In an email to PortCalls, Manila North Harbour Port Inc. chief executive officer Richard D. Barclay attributed the growth partly to logistics provider 2GO consolidating its services at the domestic hub early this year.
Barclay in an earlier interview with PortCalls said the port operator is eyeing a 2013 throughput 12.55% higher than the 836,385 TEU it handled in 2012.
In the first six months of 2013, the port’s bulk and breakbulk cargo volume decreased, which Barclay said was “in line with budget”.
Bulk cargo volumes plunged 55.9% to 142,646 metric tons from 323,454 mt in the same period a year earlier.
Breakbulk declined 6.84% to 932,710mt from 1.008 million metric tons.
“Bulk cargoes are mostly coal and clinker (raw material for cement production) while breakbulk or non-containerized cargoes include timber products, bagged cargoes, machinery, wheeled vehicles and steel products, amongst others,” Barclay noted.
Meanwhile, passenger traffic at the North Harbor grew 22.46% to 605,005 from 469,144 last year, also a result of the 2GO consolidation.
“The considerable increase in passengers is mainly due to the gradual consolidation of the 2GO ro-pax vessels at MNH,” Barclay said.
Barclay said there are 13 regular shipping lines, including Philippine Liner Shipping Association members, and a number of irregular vessels, mostly for non-containerized cargoes, that call at the North Harbor.
“Vessel calls average in excess of 310 per month,” Barclay said.
Regarding the 10% provisional rate increase granted by the Philippine Ports Authority effective June 24, Barclay noted “the budget was for a tariff adjustment from July 1, 2013.”
Due to the late release of the tariff matrix, the domestic hub granted port users three days of adjustments to update their customers on the increased charges.
Photo from www.mnhport.com.ph
