ASIAN Terminals, Inc. (ATI) said it handled a record throughput at the Batangas Container Terminal (BCT) in the first six months of 2019.
The listed port operator said in a statement yesterday it handled more than 160,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) at the BCT from January to June, up more than 40% from in the same period a year ago.
This keeps ATI on track to achieve this year’s goal of exceeding the 250,000 TEUs handled at the BCT last year.
ATI said the increased cargo volume at its terminal in Southern Luzon has resulted to a faster turnover of shipments and reduction in traffic caused by trucks moving in and out of the port.
“BCT’s first semester cargo volume meant reducing over 80,000 truck trips along Metro Manila roads, with more consignees directly routing shipment via South Luzon’s preferred international gateway port,” it said.
Aside from its larger capacity, ATI said the bigger ships and higher trip frequency of international shipping lines also contributed to the increase in cargo volume during the six-month period.
“From seven, 11 weekly carrier services now cater to BCT which directly connect goods from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and other key regional and global trade hubs to Calabarzon consignees,” it said.
ATI inaugurated in April a new berth at the BCT, which doubled its capacity to about 500,000 TEUs from 350,000 TEUs previously.
It currently has four quay cranes, eight rubber-tired gantry cranes, reachstackers, sideloaders and internal transfer vehicles among its list of equipment at the BCT. — Denise A. Valdez
