Pusan shows increased coastal results

After coastal industry transferred to the registration system, Pusan coastal shipping exhibited formidable increases.

Pusan Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries revealed Feb. 6th that coastal transportation achieved a total of 15,330 tons of cargoes, an increase of 5.4 percent from 14,542 tons in 1999. Out of this result, container transportation recorded 115,516 TEU.

By item, sand grew by 47.7 percent to 987,000 tons from 671,000 tons, being indebted to Pusan new port construction and large-sized construction project increases in the Pusan and surrounding areas. Oil and cement increased by 3.6 percent and 3 percent, reaching around 8.68 million tons and 1.81 million tons respectively, compared with 1999.

Free access for companies into the coastal shipping industry is accounted for by coastal transportation being transferred to the registration system from the permission system in October, 1999. In fact, coastal shipping companies numbered 174, possessing 525,000 tons in 1999, before the registration system. However, at the end of last year, the total number of coastal shipping companies stood at 340, and had a total vessel capacity of 621,000 tons. This figure represents a 95 percent increase in shipping firms and an 18 percent growth in total tonnage.

An official at Pusan Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries said that 83.4 percent of container cargoes using the Port of Pusan were carried by land transportation, provoking heavy traffic jams and several related problems. This phenomenon requires for coastal shipping to work actively and for inland cargoes to transfer to coastal carrying cargoes.