CONTAINER throughput at Oman's Port of Salalah surged 28 per cent to 1.17 million TEU in the first
quarter of the year, up from 912,000 TEU in the first three months of last
year.
The increase in volume is due to
the fact that last year the port was still recovering from the impact of
Cyclone Mekuno. However, the port pointed out that, despite a highly
competitive market, it has managed to retain all its major customers, with its
biggest user Maersk's share of the business rising 31 per cent year on year.
The Port of Salalah's general
cargo terminal maintained volumes at a similar level to last year in the first
quarter, moving 4.35 million tonnes, up slightly from 4.32 million tonnes in
the first quarter of 2019. The major commodities handled at the terminal
included limestone, gypsum, methanol and cement, all exported from Salalah to
nearby markets.
Despite the impact of Covid-19 on
world trade, the immediate short term outlook for Salalah's container terminal
continues to be positive, the port said, due to the consolidation of several
services at the Omani hub.
However a statement from the port
added: "The medium to longer term outlook remains uncertain with the
continued drop in global demand and supply chain disruption. We are closely
working with our main customer to mitigate the potential drop in volumes
through new value added services and supply chain support options."
The mitigation plans under
consideration are expected to limit the impact on transshipment activity, which
accounts for about 95 per cent of overall volume at Salalah.
Prospects for the general cargo
terminal appear less bright. Commodities such as gypsum and limestone, which
are feedstock for cement and steel production, are expected to see a
significant drop in demand in India and South East Asia, reports Dubai's
Maritime Standard.
Source : HKSG.
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