[100413.EN.SEA] SISI: Bohai Rim, Latin America, Africa, Baltic Top Spots For Ports

CHINA's Bohai Rim, - Tianjin, Qingdao, Dalian and Yingkou - are the best bets in world shipping, with African, Latin American and Baltic ports having good prospects too, according to the Shanghai International Shipping Institute (SISI).

SISI latest report says that ports around the world are facing challenges because of a depressed shipping market, but these four regions show great growth potential.

The first is the China's Bohai Rim region, where the economy is growing rapidly, accelerating demand for cargo transportation. Second best is Africa, particularly Durban and Port Said.

Then comes Latin America, which already shows growth trend, which will prosper with the expansion of the Panama Canal, at which point opportunities will abound for ports in the region, attracting more major operators who will build more and expand terminals.

Ports such as Santos, Lirquen and Balboa have made hefty investments in port expansion, SISI analysts noted.

In Africa, said the SISI paper, port operators like Hutchison Port Holdings and APM Terminals have been vying for market share through acquisitions in recent years.

The Baltic region also shows promise, said the SISI paper. Eastern Europe has become one of the fastest growing regions for the container trade, it said. There have been 124 carriers setting up their branches or representative offices at the Baltic region. St Petersburg ranks high as does Helsinki, they said.

The report analysed the growth potential of the top 100 ports in the world in 2012, aiming to offer support for terminal operators when making port investment decision. It is based on container throughput growth, GDP growth of the regional where the port is located, and the investment the port attracts.

Source : HKSG.