Global ports record stable growth

Global Port Development Report of Q3 2016 revealed that despite being affected by fluctuations and rebounds in the financial market, the global trade demand presented an overall pick up compared to last year.

In the third quarter of 2016, the throughput of major global ports increased by 2.03% year on year, but declined by 1.26% quarter on quarter.

The container throughput of major global ports increased by 2.22% year on year, and increased by 2.74% quarter on quarter. This was said to be due to the rising demand from China and other iron ore importers, and the growth of international iron ore shipping volume was resumed. As well as coal trade volumes of countries and regions with coal as their major energy source were on the rise.

It also reported that Chinese COSCO Shipping Ports Limited and China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited maintained the accelerated growth, while other foreign terminal operators all enjoyed positive growth rates – with the exception of DP World.

China’s economy has enjoyed better-than-expected stable growth and quality improvement. In this quarter, container throughputs of China’s ports increased at a steady pace and ports above a designated scale achieved a container throughput of 56.5m TEU. Alongside this, the number of ports suffering negative growth dropped dramatically.

Due to the weak recovery of Euro Zone economies, the easing monetary policies, and the fading Brexit impact, Europe enjoyed slowly recovering international demand and an improving exports performance.

The throughput of major European ports in this quarter increased by 1.00% year on year, and by 0.12% quarter on quarter. The container throughput of major European ports in this quarter also enjoyed a modest recovery by 0.57% year on year, and by 4.94% quarter on quarter.

In Q3, exports of the US showed modest, the overall US GDP grew by 2.9% in this quarter which was higher than the expected 2.5% for global economic growth.

The overall production of American ports recovered compared with the same period last year and Q2, increasing by 1.97% year on year and by as high as 8.49% quarter on quarter.

In terms of equity throughput, the report said that the overall throughput growth of terminal operators in this quarter was still faster than that 2016.

The profitability of global terminal operators was in good shape and it is expected that global terminal operators may continue the stable development of throughput in future.