(10 March 2008, Hong Kong :) Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) today released its tonnage figures for February 2008. A total of 171,299 tonnes were handled in February, representing a 1.8% year-on-year growth. Cumulative tonnage for the first two months of the year was 377,914 tonnes, up 4.8% year-on-year.

Import volume for February was 48,214 tonnes, up 1.5% against February last year. Aggregate import volume for the first two months of 2008 was 104,274 tonnes, representing a year-on-year growth of 2.3%.

Export volume for February was 86,355 tonnes, down 3.2% year-on-year probably as a result of the US-led global slowdown. Total export volume for January and February was 198,638 tonnes, representing a year-on-year growth of 1.1%.  

The transshipment volume was 36,730 tonnes in February, indicating a year-on-year growth of 16.4%. Cumulative transshipment tonnage for the first two months was 75,002 tonnes, up 20.7% against the same period last year.

Ms Lilian Chan, General Manager, Marketing and Customer Service said, “Traditionally, the months of January and February have to be considered together for a meaningful analysis because of the Chinese New Year effect. Export tonnage for February has shown a slight decline due to the weak market sentiment in the United States. However, we remain optimistic to attain a steady & healthy cargo growth for the rest of the year.”

The summary of the import, export and transshipment volumes is tabulated as follows: