Singapore remained the world's busiest port by shipping tonnage in 2004, fending off growing regional competition to move 16 percent more containers last year, said the city-state's maritime authority on Monday. Propelled by a trade boom in Asia, container traffic at Singapore's state-run ports hit 21.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last year, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement.
Singapore's ports moved a total of 393 million tonnes of cargo in 2004, up 13 percent from the previous year.
Singapore faces stiff competition from neighbouring ports such as Malaysia's Port Klang and the Port of Tanjung Pelepas.
Total vessel arrivals in Singapore in terms of shipping tonnage hit 1.04 billion gross tonnes, (GT), crossing the one billion mark for the first time in its history and up 6 percent from the previous year.
Singapore retained its position as the world's top bunkering hub with a record 23.6 million tonnes sold last year, up 13 percent from 2003.
At the end of 2004, the city-state had 3,109 ships under its flag, making it the sixth-largest merchant fleet in the world, rising from the seventh in 2003.