>INDIAN PORTS: May cargo volume up 4.5% YoY at major ports; MICT, JNPT volume de-grows

May 2010 cargo volume up 4.5% YoY at 47.8mt: In May 2010, cargo traffic at major Indian ports improved by 4.5% YoY to 47.8mt (v/s 45.8mt a year earlier), better than April 2010 growth of 2.7% YoY.

■ Container, POL cargo boost cargo traffic growth: In May 2010, cargo traffic growth was boosted by double-digit container and POL cargo growth. Container and POL cargo grew by 14% and 10% YoY to 8.9mt and 15.2mt, respectively. Iron ore de-grew by 9% to 7.9mt. Coal and fertilizer cargo were flat YoY at 6.4mt and 1.5mt respectively. Cargo in other categories grew 4% YoY to 7.9mt.

■ JNPT container cargo traffic de-grows 5.6% YoY, total container traffic grows 14% YoY: In May 2010, container cargo traffic at JNPT de-grew 5.6% YoY to 4.3mt and all-India container traffic was up 14% YoY at 8.9mt. Other ports posted healthy container traffic growth in May. Chennai grew by 53% YoY to 2.4mt, Kolkata posted growth of 26% YoY to 0.59mt and Tuticorin grew 10% YoY (0.58mt). The four ports account for 7.8mt of container traffic or 88% of the total
container traffic.

■ Cargo traffic grows at seven ports, Cochin posts highest increase of 28%: In May 2010, seven ports posted growth in cargo traffic, of which Cochin, Kandla, Chennai and new Mangalore volumes grew 28%, 22%, 21% and 12% YoY, respectively. POL cargo, which grew by 37% YoY in Cochin and 38% in Kandla, boosted cargo traffic growth at the two ports.

■ Mundra International Container Terminal (MICT) May volumes fall by 5.5% YoY: In May 2010, MICT posted a 5.5% YoY decline in container traffic to 45,789 TEUs (48,432 TEUs in May 2009). This is similar to a 4.6% YoY decline in April 2010. Since January 2010, volumes at MICT have declined each month. Cumulative volume since January declined by 8.7% YoY to 227,280 TEUs.

To read the full report: INDIAN PORTS