Cambodia’s Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (PAS) has launched operations at its new multipurpose terminal, paving the way for larger ships to call.
However, while the expansion at the country’s only deepsea facility could help bring down logistics costs, Cambodia’s exports remain at risk from its government’s lurch toward authoritarianism.
Located 230km south-west of capital Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville handles 70% of Cambodia’s container traffic. Driven by booming garment exports and strong Chinese investment into the port city, throughput has increased by double-digits for the past five years, averaging 12.6%.
The port handled 459,835 teu in 2017 and recorded 207,047 teu for the first five months of 2018, up 20% year on year.
The new terminal, funded by Japan to the tune of US$74m, has a 330-metre berth and 13.5-metre draught and is intended for both bulk and container vessels. PAS says the terminal can handle shipments weighing 50,000 tonnes, double that of the other facilities.
Source: The Loadstar (OK)
Source: The Loadstar