WESTPORT registered an 18% growth in container traffic for the first quarter of the year, compared to the corresponding period last year, handling 565,917 TEUs.

Out of that volume, transhipment cargo consisted 373, 323 TEUs while the rest were local boxes, which also saw some increase, reversing the steadily declining trend in terms of local cargo experienced since March last year.

The total number of containers handled for the month of March was 207,470 TEUs, the highest ever in a month for Westport.

The terminal also saw an increase in the number of ship calls. From January to March, 989 vessels, both main line operators and feeders, called Westport.

Westport general manager of container services Lt. Col (Ret) Vincent Lim said the bulk of the increase in the container volumes came from existing shipping lines using Westport as their preferred port to handle their cargo.

Three major shipping lines, CMA-CGM, China Shipping Line, and Goldstar, together accounted for 290,873 TEUs.

CMA-CGM, in particular, brought in 147,193 TEUs.