8 January 2009
Singapore's maritime and port sector defied economic gravity in the later half of 2008 to hit new highs in vessel arrival tonnage, container throughput, cargo throughput, bunkering volumes and fleet size.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore's (MPA) efforts to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and an international maritime centre continued to yield good results. The port of Singapore has retained its global lead in vessel arrival tonnage, containers handled, and bunkers lifted, while the Singapore registry of ships is currently the fourth largest in the world.
Singapore is also home to more than 100 international shipping groups now. The maritime cluster as a whole employs more than 100,000 people and contributes some seven per cent to Singapore's GDP.
Singapore's port and maritime performance in 2008 was announced by Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Raymond Lim, at a New Year reception organised by the Singapore Maritime Foundation this evening.
Details of the 2008 performance are:
Vessel Arrivals
Vessel arrivals in terms of shipping tonnage reached 1.6 billion gross tons (GT) in 2008, an increase of some 11.1 per cent from the 1.5 billion GT record set in 2007. Container ships were the top contributors, accounting for 36.5 per cent of the total vessel arrival tonnage. Tankers came in a close second, contributing 29.9 per cent to the total figure.
Container and Cargo Throughput
Container traffic in 2008 hit 29.9 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), a 7.1 per cent increase from the 27.9 million TEUs handled in 2007. The total cargo tonnage handled by the Port of Singapore last year climbed 6.5 per cent over 2007 to reach 515.3 million tonnes.
Bunker Sales
The total volume of bunkers sold in the Port of Singapore reached a new record in 2008 when it hit 34.9 million tonnes as of end December. 2008's sales surpassed 2007's figures by 10.7 per cent.
The Singapore Registry of Ships
The Singapore Registry of Ships also achieved growth, with the total tonnage of ships under the Singapore flag growing by some 10.4 per cent over 2007 to reach 43.7 million GT as of end December 2008.
Singapore's port and maritime performance from 2004 to 2008 is given in the table below:
Year |
Vessel Arrivals (billion gross tons) |
Container Throughput (million TEUs) |
Cargo Throughput (million tonnes) |
Bunker Volume |
S'pore Registry of Ships |
2004 |
1.0 |
21.3 |
393.4 |
23.6 |
27.7 |
2005 |
1.2 |
23.2 |
423.3 |
25.5 |
33.0 |
2006 |
1.3 |
24.8 |
448.5 |
28.4 |
34.8 |
2007 |
1.5 |
27.9 |
483.6 |
31.5 |
39.6 |
2008 |
1.6 |
29.9 |
515.3 |
34.9 |
43.7 |
End of Release.
About the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was established on 2 February 1996, with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre (IMC), and to advance and safeguard Singapore's strategic maritime interests. The MPA is the driving force behind Singapore's port and maritime development, taking on the roles of port authority, port regulator, port planner, IMC champion, and national sea transport representative. The MPA partners the industry and other agencies to enhance safety, security and environmental protection in our port waters, facilitate port operations and growth, expand the cluster of maritime ancillary services, and promote maritime R&D and manpower development.
About the Port of Singapore
The port of Singapore comprises a number of facilities and terminals that handle a wide range of cargo transported in different forms, including containers as well as conventional and bulk cargo. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is responsible for the overall development and growth of the port of Singapore, which includes terminal operators, such as PSA Corporation and Jurong Port Pte Ltd.
