Cargo handling at seaports down 1.2 pct in April

Published : May 25, 2016 - 13:17 Updated : May 25, 2016 - 13:41

The amount of cargo processed at Korea's seaports slipped 1.2 percent in April from a year earlier due to a drop in the transport of soft coal and vehicles, the government said Wednesday.

The volume of cargo handled at six seaports came to 119.32 million tons last month, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

Busan Port (Yonhap)

The ministry attributed the decreased volume to the decreased shipping of soft coal and cars amid the global economic slowdown.

Chemical shipments at the ports jumped 13.4 percent on-year and cargoes of sand and cement rose 7.2 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively, the ministry said.

In contrast, the handling of vehicles tumbled 16.9 percent during the period, while soft coal and engineering equipment each fell 9.9 percent and 4.8 percent, it said.

Mokpo Port on the southwestern coast was hit the hardest by the sluggish exports of cars, marking a 31.4 percent fall in April from a year ago.

Busan, the fifth-largest port in the world, handled 1.58 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEU) in April. (Yonhap)