From January to May, the movement of cargo through the Panama National Port System grew by 10.1 per cent compared to the same period in 2008, according to The British Broadcasting Corporation.
The increase was due mainly to a rise in bulk cargo, which increased 42.1 per cent. By contrast, container traffic was down substantially from last year. The decline in container movement during the first five months of the year coincides with the projections of a decrease in freight transportation through the Panama Canal, which is expected to fall five per cent this year.
A report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean reported that the ports of Panama and Peru recorded the highest levels of growth in Latin America in 2008.
During the first four months of the year, the Panamanian port system mobilised 996,000 20-foot containers, a decrease of 3.4 per cent as compared to the same period in 2008.
But Manzanillo International Terminal registered a growth in this area of 9.7 per cent. According to analysts, this increase reflects an increase in the number of empty containers handled at the terminal.
Cargo News Asia
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