Chittagong, The Pearl of Karnaphuli

Source: CPA Website and various sources, 2007.

Located in the southern part of Bangladesh on Karnaphuli River, Chittagong serves as country's gateway for world exports and imports. Chittagong port throughput has seen a steady growth of 12.5% per annum during 2000-2006. It's predicted to continue at 9% in 2007/2009.

Bangladesh main export partners are USA and Europe with Garment as the main commodity. While import wise are Southeast and Far East Asian countries with Fabrics and Machinery being the major commodity.

Bangladesh export contributes 11% of total GDP in 2006.


Chittagong Port

Chittagong port consists of three different terminal.

- General Cargo Berth : No Gantry Crane, Draft 8.5m, 13 Berths.

- Chittagong Contr Term : 4x Post Panamax Gantry, Draft 9.2m, 3 Berths.

- New Mooring CT : Under Construction, Projected 5 Berths, Draft 9.5-10m.

Currently only CCT provides fix day window berthing with prerequisite: a consortium of 4 vessels. First Come First Serve basis are still applicable to other vessels operator.

GCB uses First Come First Serve basis.

Chittagong were famous of its congestion, that could leave vessels with 12 days port stay. This is due to inefficient cargo operations at terminal as well as unorganized container yard management.

This problem is no longer occur in 2007, with privatization of CCT operation as well as deregulations on GCB terminal operations.

Ratio Between T/S Hubs

Bangladesh is a feeder port by nature, given their shallow river-draft condition. Thus it serves through Hub ports within region. A significant chunk of Chittagong export volume are transhipped via Singapore, followed by Colombo and Tanjung Pelepas.

Same order are found in Import cargoes to Chittagong.

CGP Import T/S Hub
Sin - 59% ---> growth: 19,000 teu p.a
Cmb - 18% ---> growth: 19,800 teu p.a
Ptp - 13% ---> growth: 1,400 teu p.a
Others - 10%

CGP Export T/S Hub
Sin - 54% ---> growth: 7,000 teu p.a
Cmb - 19% ---> growth: 27,000 teu p.a
Ptp - 15% ---> growth: 9,700 teu p.a
Others - 11%

Colombo growth is mainly driven by Maersk Line volumes.

Comparison on Common Feeder and Dedicated Feeder players in Chittagong, in the year 2006 shows: 95% (430,000 TEU) are carried by Common Feeder; while 5% (70,000 teu) carried by Dedicated Feeder.

Chittagong is either a balance and also imbalance trade in terms of Laden/Empty movement as well as in terms of Equipment type.

Depend on which hub port, the Laden/Empty movement can then be determined.

Hubbing through Singapore, mostly Laden into Chittagong (96%) and almost balance(Empty 45% Laden 55%) out from Chittagong. This is due to container type coming into CTG ex Southeast/Fareast Asia is mostly 20', while export via Singapore are mainly 40's.

Hubbing through Colombo, the movement is more balance.

2006 data shows, into Chittagong 85% Laden while out fm Chittagong 90% Laden.

Colombo traditionally serves as t/s hub for cargo bound from/to Europe/South America. Container type imbalance have less impact.

Trade Laden Empty Total
Cmb-Cgp 68,000 12,000 80,000
Cgp-Cmb 74,000 8,000 82,000

Sin-Cgp 270,000 13,000 283,000
Cgp-Sin 150,000 130,000 280,000


Current Players/Share

- Singapore Hub
ACL 24% CMA 5%
XCL 16% APL 5%
OEL 14% GSL 5%
HRC 12% QCL 3%
SSL 7% BSC 3%
PML 6%

- Colombo Hub
XCL 37%
OEL 33%
HRC 23%
QCL 6%

Seasonality

Chittagong trade is generally steady in the whole year, except on three occasion:

- February (usually waiting for buyers order/new order)

- Monsoon period (end June until early August)

- Islamic Festive Seasons (Ied al Fitri and Ied al Adha)

During past years, Nov/Dec usually marked with labour/political unrest. But eversince Military take over in 2007, this doesnt seem to occur.

Throughput YoY
2001 490,000
2002 530,000
2003 630,000
2004 690,000
2005 785,000
2006 880,000

Current Situation

- In tender for New Mooring Terminal concession

- Application of fix day window berthing system

- Application of common tariff on all berth

- Improved port stay --> 1-2 days in compared with 2006 average 8 days.

Opportunities:

- Terminal operator bidding in New Mooring Terminal

- Four ships consortium to offer fix day window service in Chittagong

- Colombo/Chittagong Feeder operations.

Currently only served by 4 operators, Supply/Demand analysis shows with steady growth of Chittagong there will be Under Supply situation in the end of 2007.

- Factual supports: two players (Seacon and OEL) on Cmb/Cgp sector has either upsize or add more tonnage on the trade to cater the growth.

Singapore - The Hub of Asia

Source: PSA and Jurong Port - Singapore, 2007.

Port of Singapore Authority

As The Flag Company of Temasek Holding's PSA International, Port of Singapore Authority operates the world's largest transhipment hub in Singapore. In 2006, PSA Singapore Terminals handled 23.98 million TEUs.

Its four terminals at Tanjong Pagar, Keppel, Brani and Pasir Panjang functioning as one integrated facility serving 200 shipping lines offering connections to 600 ports in 123 countries.

Within next five to seven years, 15 new berths will be added at Pasir Panjang Terminal. The first seven berths commenced operations in 2005/2006.

Future development is expected from this leading transhipment port of the World.

Jurong Port

Started operations in mid-2001, Jurong Port's Container Terminal who is managed by Jurong Port Pte Ltd, is now a hive of activities with vessels from main lines and feeder lines calling regularly round-the-clock.

These lines include Zim Line, Norasia Lines, Laurel Navigation, CSAV, CMA CGM, Gold Star Line, Hanjin, Emirates Line and UASC. In addition, these lines carry containers belonging to many other shipping lines when they call at Jurong Port. Together, they have a worldwide connectivity of over 61 major ports across 50 countries.

The Port's connectivity is further extended with an inter-terminal arrangement with PSA Corporation that allows for smooth, fast and seamless transhipment connections, involving mainline operators and feeder lines.

The inter-terminal arrangement is made possible with a system linkage to PSA Corporation system that facilitates real-time exchange of transhipment information to plan and monitor connections.

Jurong Port's facilities include:
Berths: 23
Berth length: 4,545 m
Maximum vessel draft: 16 m
Maximum vessel size: 150,000 dwt
Area: 1.2 km² Free Trade Zone, 320,000 m² non-Free Trade Zone
Warehouse facilities: 280,000 m²

Throughput YoY (TEUs)

Total PSA + Jurong Port

2007 - 13,470,200 (H1)

2006 - 24,792,400

2005 - 23,192,200

2004 - 21,329,100

2003 - 18,410,500

2002 - 16,940,900

2001 - 15,571,100

2000 - 17,086,900

Current Situation:

- Expecting more capacity to come in future in line with the race for economies of scale from Major Shipping Lines through Mega Container Vessel building project.

- In progress to convert Pasir Panjang conventional berth to become container berth

Opportunities:
- Liner service catering Southeast Asia and Far East cargo
- Feeder service plying Southeast Asia routes for cargo transhipment in Singapore
- Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia are the emerging cargo source for both Feeder and Liner services

Port Said - Egypt

Source: PSCCHC & SCCT, 2007.

A Brief about Port Said
Located in the mouth of Suez Canal, Port Said enjoys strategic location for seaport.

With almost zero deviation on vessel crossing the Canal Northbound to Europe or Southbound to Asia, Port Said serves the competitive advantage as Hub ports.

The port traditionally serves for transhipment cargo bound to North African region (Egypt, Libya, Algeria), East Med-Levant region (Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, lower Turkey), Aegean region (Greece), even as far as Adriatic (Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania) and Black Sea region.

Port Said - West Port

Starting operation on October 1988, Port Said Container Terminal managed by PSCCHC which is majority owned by Egyptian Ministry of Investment.

Terminal Description Highlights: PSCT has a quay length of 1,000 meters and an overall area of 365 hectares.

In Future, Adding 675 m extension to the main container quay in (two phases), the 1st phase 400m (already approved )and the 2nd 275m, with 16m depth & 15m draft. The total terminal length of terminal quays will be 1625 meters .

Support the 1st phase quay by three gantry cranes and the 2nd one by two gantry cranes. Besides, yard cranes, tractors and semi-trailers. The back reach area (for the first phase) is 34 hectares and 16 hectares (for the second phase). Total back reach area for both phases 50 hectares.

PSCCHC or Port Said Container & Cargo Handling Co. was the sole service provider operating Port Said Container Terminal on the West side of the Canal. Enjoying steady double digit growth until SCCT emerged.

Port Said - East Port

October 2004, SCCT which is APM Terminal-managed emerged as a competing Hub on the other side of the canal (East side). Suez Canal Container Terminal cater mainly for Maersk Line cargo swinged from previous PSCCHC .

Being backed with the Giant of Shipping Industry, SCCT recorded an amazing growth and reached their first million TEU only after 18 months of operations. That's in March 2006.

Terminal Description Highlights: SCCT has a quay length of 1,200 meters and an overall area of 60 hectares.

In Phase One, Twelve Super post panamax Ship to Shore Gantry cranes will be placed, together with 37 yard cranes and other handling equipment. Initial draft is 16.5 meters increasable to 17.5 meters.

Main Customers

PSCT main customers and their shares are:

- KLine 35%

- YML 20%

- COSCO 16%

- CMACGM 9%

- Hapag Lloyd 6%

- Others : EMC, Norasia, Hanjin, APL etc

SCCT main customers are:

- Maersk Line (major supporter)

- CSCL

- CMACGM

Throughput YoY (TEU)

Port Said Contr Terminal - West

Total

2006 - 1,200,000

2005 - 921,000

2004 - 847,000

2003 - 821,000

2002 - 566,000

2001 - 563,000

2000 - 553,000

Transhipment / Local

2006 - 1,044,000 / 156,000

2005 - 728,000 / 193,000

2004 - 700,000 / 147,000

2003 - 700,000 / 121,000

2002 - 450,000 / 117,000

2001 - 424,000 / 127,000

2000 - 300,000 / 130,000

Suez Canal Contr Terminal - East
Total
2007 - 605,000 (Q1)
2006 - 1,600,000
2005 - 714,000
2004 - 19,000

Current Conditions:
- Full berth occupancy by MLO vessels
- Expected one or two days delay due to sometimes Canal Crossing delay

Opportunities:
- Feeder Services plying route to EMED Levant region
- Feeder Services plying route to North Africa region