GLOBAL container shipping volumes rose by four per cent year on year in the fourth quarter after a rebound in the second half of last year, but fell 0.6 per cent in the first quarter, according to Alphaliner, which surveyed 30 of the world's leading container ports.

Full-year 2016 container volumes worldwide rose by 1.8 per cent at the world's top 100 ports to 555.6 million, up from 1.5 per cent growth in 2015, reported Seatrade Maritime, Colchester.



The only port in the global top 20 ports to register double-digit growth was Port Klang in Malaysia, which saw volumes increase by 10.8 per cent in 2016 to 13.2 million TEU, pushing to the port up to 12th place globally.



Other notable high growth ports were Colombo in 23rd place with 10.6 per cent growth to 5.7 million TEU; Manila took 33rd place with 11.3 per cent growth to 4.4 million TEU; Piraeus in 38th position with 10.4 per cent growth to 3.7 million TEU, Mundra in the 42nd spot, up 18.7 per cent to 3.4 million TEU; and Salalah in 43rd place, after volumes rose 29.4 per cent to 3.3 million TEU, Alphaliner said.