Port Botany trade grows on the back of drink imports and cereal exports
February 3, 2010
Port Botany has recorded a 10.7 percent increase in container trade volumes for December 2009- the highest for the month in the facility’s history.
Total container trade at the port reached 993,000 TEU’s for the six months to December 31, which is also a new record representing a 0.8 percent increase on the corresponding period last year.
Imports of beverages, miscellaneous manufactures and non metallic minerals and exports of cereals, non ferrous metals and waste paper are all accredited with the growth in volume.
Sydney Ports Corporation Chief Executive Grant Gilfillan says the trade figures also show an increase in full import containers of 16.2 percent with the major increases coming from East and South East Asia and Europe.
Gilfillan says the corporation is still remaining cautious about growth as the worldwide recovery from the global financial downturn continues.
“While we welcome these positive signs for Port Botany and New South Wales, we recognise the rest of the world economy has not fully recovered which may impact on trade results for the second half of the financial year,” Gilfillan says.
He also says the Sydney Ports remains focussed on delivering vital infrastructure such as the Port Botany expansion to double the handling capacity at the port.
“The project is on track with significant progress being made in the construction of the 1850 metres of additional wharf face designed to cater for the larger 8,000 TEU container vessels,” he says.