Cross-strait shipping shines brightly in otherwise depressed market

Cross-strait shipping shines brightly in otherwise depressed market

MAINLAND-TAIWAN cross-strait trade posted 13.5 per cent year-on-year first half increase to 978,000 TEU with overall cargo up 0.7 per cent to 30.06 million tonnes.

This stands as a brilliant performance compared to an otherwise depressed shipping market, said Xinhua.

In the first half of this year, utilisation rate of container vessels on the mainland-Taiwan lanes climbs from less than 60 per cent in the beginning of year to 70 per cent end of first half.

Utilisation on Shanghai-Taiwan vessels reached 78 per cent, mid year, 10 percentage points higher over the same period in 2012, said Lian Xiaoan, spokesman for the Ministry of Transport.

On the other hand, cross-strait passenger transportation recorded year-on-year and month-to-month decrease for three consecutive months since April.

In this period, cross-strait passenger shipping services moved 735,000 persons, down 11 per cent year on year. Travellers from mainland to Taiwan increased 8.6 per cent to 85,000 persons.