Last Year Port Cargo Volume Increased by 5.4%... Container Traffic Higher Than Pre-COVID-19 Levels

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] Despite the impact of COVID-19 last year, domestic port cargo volume increased thanks to the global economic recovery.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 23rd that the total port cargo volume handled at nationwide trade ports last year was 1,580.71 million tons, a 5.4% increase compared to the previous year (1,499.25 million tons).

Among these, export-import cargo volume increased by 5.9% year-on-year to 1,351.13 million tons due to the recovery of the global economy, increased exports of automobiles and machinery, increased imports of iron ore, and increased exports and imports of petroleum products. Coastal cargo volume rose by 2.9% to a total of 229.58 million tons, influenced by the expansion of housing supply policies and increased transportation of cement and ore due to economic recovery.

By port, most ports recorded an increase compared to the previous year, with Busan Port, Gwangyang Port, and Incheon Port increasing by 7.6%, 6.9%, and 3.8%, respectively. In contrast, Ulsan Port decreased by 1.7%.

In particular, container cargo volume recorded 29.997 million TEU last year, a 3.1% increase compared to the previous year (29.10 million TEU; 1 TEU equals one 20-foot container). This is also 2.6% higher than 2019 (29.23 million TEU), before the COVID-19 crisis.

Export-import performance was 17.14 million TEU, a 4.3% increase year-on-year due to increased cargo volumes from major countries such as the United States (11.1%↑) and China (3.3%↑). Specifically, export cargo volume increased by 3.2% to 8.55 million TEU, import cargo volume rose by 5.4% to 8.58 million TEU, and transshipment increased by 1.5% to 12.68 million TEU.

By port, Busan Port handled 22.69 million TEU, a 4% increase from the previous year due to increased cargo volumes from major trading countries. Incheon Port processed 3.35 million TEU, a 2.5% increase from the previous year, marking the highest container handling performance since its opening. Gwangyang Port handled 2.12 million TEU, a 1.6% decrease from the previous year.

Non-container cargo volume totaled 1,049.56 million tons, a 5% increase compared to the previous year. Gwangyang Port, Incheon Port, and Pyeongtaek-Dangjin Port showed an increasing trend, while Ulsan Port showed a decline. By item, petroleum, ore, thermal coal, and automobiles increased by 3.3%, 5.4%, 4.9%, and 22.9%, respectively.

Lee Minseok, Director of Port Logistics Planning at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "Despite COVID-19, container cargo volume has recovered to pre-COVID-19 levels due to strong exports and trade." He added, "As global maritime logistics disruptions caused by chain congestion at major world ports are expected to continue, we will do our best to prevent logistics obstacles by managing terminal occupancy rates and smoothly operating temporary storage locations for export cargo."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.