With barely a month left before the year ends, most logistic players in Malaysia have shown growth and are on track to post record full-year cargo volume and revenue.

This is thanks to the substantial rise in the country's foreign trade and those in the shipping industry to the rising freight rates, triggered by increased demand in China and a global shortage of vessels.

Malaysia's exports in September jumped 28.8 per cent year on year, the highest growth recorded this year. Total exports was RM44.38 billion as demand increased in China, Asean, European Union, the United States, Japan, Australia and South Korea for Malaysian-made electrical and electronics products, crude petroleum, chemicals and chemical products, refined petroleum products and palm oil.

Imports rose 34.9 per cent to RM37.07 billion.

This growth in trade proved to be a boon for local air cargo carriers such as Malaysia Airlines Cargo Sdn Bhd (MASkargo) and Transmile Group Bhd, major port operators such as Northport and Westport in Port Klang, Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) and Johor Port in Johor, Penang Port and Bintulu Port in Sarawak and shipping companies such as Malaysia International Shipping Corp Bhd, Malaysian Bulk Carriers Bhd and Halim Mazmin Bhd.

In addition, global couriers operating in Malaysia like DHL Worldwide Express Sdn Bhd, TNT Express Worldwide (M) Sdn Bhd and Federal Express Services (M) Sdn Bhd were not excluded from enjoying the benefits of the growth.

Since the start of the year, these logistic players have seen their cargo volume handled and revenue gaining momentum.

Take MASkargo. Its operating revenue totalled RM1.24 billion for the six months ended Sept 30, up 32.7 per cent from RM473.23 million the same period a year ago.

A total of 323,566 tonnes of cargo was handled during the same period, a 14.9 per cent increase over the preceding year's 281,715 tonnes.

Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS) senior general manager (cargo) Datuk Ong Jyh Jong said the cargo subsidiary of MAS expected' revenue for its fiscal year ending March 31, 2005 to surpass the RM1.47 billion achieved in the full year ended March 31, 2002.

That's because revenue for the first seven months of the year had surpassed that figure. MISC, meanwhile, saw its second quarter net profit rise 27 per cent from a year ago, driven by higher shipping rates.

Net profit in its fiscal second quarter to Sept 30, 2004 rose to RM621.49 million from RM491.06 million for the same 2003 period.

It said freight rates have surged 50 per cent in the last six months on rising global trade, particularly with China, and a tight supply of ships.

Tanker rates have also soared as oil exporters boost output to maximise profits on high crude prices, increasing demand for transport.

Similarly, Halim Mazmin announced a 50.5 per cent jump in net profit to RM27.66 million for the nine months to Sept 30 compared with RM18.73 million in the previous corresponding period.

Revenue for the nine months rose to RM99.09 million from RM97.39 million a year earlier.

Halim Mazmin executive chairman Tan Sri Halim Mohammad attributed the higher profit to improving freight rates and operations, continuous employment of the company's vessels and disposal of a product tanker.

Apart from increases in revenue, major port operators also saw increases in cargo throughput and are reaching the target they have set out for the year.

Westport's container throughput for the first 11 months of this year hit 2.34 million TEUs (20 foot equivalent units), up 10.8 per cent from 2.11 million TEUs in the corresponding period in 2003.

It is aiming at a container throughput of 2.6 million TEUs for the current year, its previous best being 2.3 million TEUs handled last year.

Then there's PTP. The port reported record volumes for the third quarter and the first nine months of this year.

Third quarter volumes rose 11 percent year on year to 1.01 million TEUs, pushing the nine-month total to 3.02 million TEUs, up 20 per cent.

It said with the peak shipment period underway, the full-year total was certain to top the four million TEU mark.

At the same time, Johor Port's cargo throughput for the first nine months of this year hit of 21.3 million tonnes, up eight per cent from 19.7 million tonnes in the corresponding period in 2003.

The port targets to handle 30 million tonnes of cargo this year, up 11.9 per cent from 26,8 million tonnes last year.

Container volume also rose 11 per cent to 613,918 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) in the nine months to September and is on pace to meet the full-year target of 825,000 TEUs. Johor Port Bhd director of corporate affairs Dr Lim Meng Soon said the port was "well within its means" to break the 800,000-TEU mark this year and was set on the target of hitting the one million- TEU mark by 2005.

Overall, Malaysia's ports handled 7.6 million TEUs between January and August.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy was reported as saying Malaysia's ports were expected to handle 11. 5 million TEUs for the full year owing to rising trade, up 12.7 per cent from 10.2 million TEUs last year.

NST, December 10