Kaohsiung Bumped from Top 10 Ports

The Taiwanese port of Kaohsiung has been bumped from the list of the world's 10 busiest container ports by growing rival ports in mainland China, CargonewsAsia reported Monday.

Citing statistics from Chinese new outlets, the report said Kaohsiung, the seventh-busiest port in 2007, has been passed by Guangzhou, Ningbo, Zhoushan and Qingdao after its container volume dropped 5.6 percent in 2008. The port has increasingly struggled to stay relevant as a transshipment destination as more direct services called on growing Chinese ports. One of its biggest customers, Maersk Line, pulled volume from the port in 2008, exacerbating the situation.

But there are hopes that recently improved trade and transportation links between Taiwan and the mainland will rejuvenate the fortunes of Kaohsiung, once one of the world's three busiest ports.

The other notable news is Dubai's Jebel Ali is now the sixth-largest port in the world. The top five are Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Busan.