A total of 231,580 tonnes were handled in September, representing a year-on-year increase of 7.3%. Tonnage throughput for the third quarter was 650,040 tonnes, up 3.7% against the same period last year. Cumulative tonnage from January to September was 1,844,540 tonnes, up 5.1% year-on-year.

Export volume showed a year-on-year growth of 5.6% and 2.5% in September and in the third quarter, with 130,442 tonnes and 363,855 tonnes being handled respectively. Aggregate export tonnage for the three quarters was 1,028,288 tonnes, representing a year-on-year growth of 4.5%.

A total of 59,811 tonnes of import cargo were handled in September 2006, up 1.9% year-on-year. Cumulative import tonnage for the third quarter was 174,690 tonnes, up 1.8% against the same period last year. Total import volume for the first nine months of the year was 510,570 tonnes, up 3.4% on a year-on-year basis.

Transshipment volume for September was 41,327 tonnes, up 23.2% against the same month last year. Total trans-shipment volume from January to September was 305,682 tonnes, representing a 10.1% growth year-on-year.

"Overall sentiment is that growth rates remain slower due to depressed demand in the major export markets of Europe and U.S. As we drove into the traditional peak season, volumes will grow but year-on-year growth rates are not expected to show much improvement," said Lilian Chan, Hactl's General Manager, Marketing & Customer Service.

The summary for the import, export and trans-shipment volumes handled in September, the third quarter and the cumulative figures from January to September 2006 are tabulated in the following page.