CONTAINER throughput at Port Klang reached 4.11 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) in the first nine months of this year, up 4.2 per cent from a year earlier.

The port, which comprises Northport and Westport, handled 3.94 million TEUs in January-September 2004.

It is expected to handle 5.6 million TEUs this year.

Transhipment traffic (cargo not originating from or destined for Malaysia) constituted 53 per cent, or 2.17 million TEUs, of the total containerised cargo handled by Port Klang, up 5.4 per cent, while local laden containers (indigenous cargo) accounted for the remaining 1.94 million TEUs.

Meanwhile, the contribution of Westport to Port Klang's container throughput remained unchanged at 52 per cent, with Northport accounting for the balance.

From January to September this year, Westport handled 2.14 million TEUs, up 13 per cent from 1.9 million TEUs in the previous corresponding period.

The port expects its container volume to surpass three million TEUs for the whole of 2005.

Westport's transhipment traffic grew 13 per cent to 1.3 million TEUs from 1.15 million TEUs, while indigenous cargo handled was up 12 per cent to 702,305 TEUs from 629,725 TEUs.

It also saw a 5 per cent rise in the volume of conventional general cargo handled in the first nine months of this year to 6.49 million tonnes, from 6.19 million tonnes in the same period of 2004.

It hopes to handle nine million tonnes by the end of the year.

The NST, 11.10.2005