The South Korean seaports have handled 1.5[ds_preview] bill. t in 2016, 2.7 % more than the year before. That was a new record for the country despite a global economic slump and the collapse of the its leading shipper Hanjin.
According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries the trade cargo totaled 1.23 bill. t while domestic shipments came to 265 mill. t. As reasons for the increase the Koreans mainly see the 3.1 rise in non-container cargo to 1.06 bill. t.
The largest port in Korea is Busan that handled 19.4 mill. TEUs, In comparision to 2015 this was a decrease of 0.2 %. Direct trade cargo at the Busan port grew by 2.6 % to 9.6 mill. TEU.
While transshipment cargo processed there dipped 2.8 percent to 9.8 million TEU, affected by Hanjin‘s trouble, Hyundai Merchant Marine and other local shipping lines are filling in for Hanjin, said the ministry. Busan was the world‘s sixth largest port by cargo volume. In the lead remains Shanghai, China.
