Export volume in March was 137,037 tonnes, up 4.3% compared with last year. Cumulative export tonnage for the first quarter was 335,099 tonnes, representing a drop of 1.0% year-on-year. Export to Japan in March registered a year-on-year drop of 18.3%. In the first quarter, export to China showed a year-on-year growth of 7.9% and export to Europe recorded a year-on-year decline of 6.0%.
A total of 64,227 tonnes of import cargo were handled in March, showing a year-on-year growth of 0.8%. Cumulative import tonnage for the first quarter was 175,588 tonnes, up 0.6% against the same period last year. Import from Japan in March showed a significant year-on-year decrease of 22.6%. In the first quarter, import from USA and Europe increased by 13.0% and 16.0%.
Transshipment volume for March recorded a growth of 9.3% year-on-year to 53,555 tonnes. Total transshipment volume for the first quarter was 139,035 tonnes, up 12.4% year-on-year.
'The quake and the subsequent tsunami crisis in Japan are bringing supply chain disruptions which would likely affect the aviation industry amid its recovery trajectory. While we observed a significant decline in export and import volumes to and from Japan in March, we will maintain a close watch on the situation and its potential impact on our tonnage volumes over the coming months,' said Lilian Chan, Executive Director of Hactl. 'Hactl will always maintain a long term focus on our quality services despite the uncertainties ahead.'
The import, export and transshipment volumes for March and the first quarter of year 2011 are tabulated below:
Tonnage handled by Hactl in March and January to March 2011
| Mar-11 | Jan to Mar 2011 (Cumulative) |
|||
| Tonnage (in tonnes) |
Year-on-Year Growth |
Tonnage (in tonnes) |
Year-on-Year Growth |
|
| Export | 137,037 | 4.30% | 335,099 | -1.00% |
| Import | 64,227 | 0.80% | 175,588 | 0.60% |
| Transshipment | 53,555 | 9.30% | 139,035 | 12.40% |
| Total | 254,819 | 4.40% | 649,722 | 2.00% |
