KUALA LUMPUR: Port Klang, the second largest port in Southeast Asia, comprising Northport and Westports, advanced to 11th place in the 2023 rankings of the world's top 100 busiest container ports, according to Lloyd's List.
It is one of seven ports in the top 20 globally that moved up in rankings from the previous year. The others include Dubai, Xiamen, Laem Chabang, Kaohsiung, Tangier Med, and Taicang.
A market observer predicts that Port Klang could break into the top 10 within the next one to two years.
"Port Klang's performance has greatly improved in recent years, owing to its strategic location at the crossroads of major shipping routes linking Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, making it a vital regional transshipment hub.
"We expect timber, automobiles, liquid bulk such as latex, palm and coconut oil, and petroleum products to remain the port's key exports," he told Business Times.
In 2023, Port Klang handled 14.06 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units), marking a 6.3 percent increase from the 13.22 million TEUs recorded in 2022.
Local import and export containers grew by 8.4 per cent to 6.16 million TEUs, up from 5.68 million TEUs the previous year.
During the first half of this year, Port Klang saw a 5.6 per cent year-on-year growth in container volume, reaching 8.4 million TEUs, and is forecasting a 5.5 per cent growth for the full year, with a projected 14.83 million TEUs.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) stated that this growth has elevated Port Klang to one of the top three largest transshipment hubs in Asia, excluding China.
The MOT highlighted that Port Klang's rise in the rankings signifies Malaysia's increasing influence in international trade.
The port's strategic location, along with effective policies, ongoing infrastructure development, and investment in advanced technologies, has made it an increasingly attractive hub for global shipping lines and trade routes.
The MOT also noted that the significant improvement in Port Klang's ranking reflects the dedication and hard work of everyone involved in its operations, including the ministry, the Port Klang Authority, terminal operators, and other strategic partners.
It added that this milestone is more than just numbers—it represents Port Klang's commitment to enhancing efficiency, expanding capacity, and adapting to the ever-evolving trends and challenges of the global shipping and maritime industry, solidifying its role as a key player on the world stage.
Looking ahead, the MOT said that Port Klang aims to continue its upward trajectory and achieve even greater milestones in the years to come.
"With extensive plans for further expansion and modernisation, the port is poised to play an even more significant role in facilitating global trade.
"Port Klang is not only looking at being a transshipment hub, with its ratio in composition of trade between transshipment and local cargo moving from 70:30 to 55:45 in the last decade, but is also moving towards enhancing its role as an important regional distribution and logistics centre in Asia," said MoT.