ASIA Bangladesh Chittagong>> According to Container News, analysts expect the Port of Chittagong to “slip down from three million TEU club this year.” The Ukraine-Russia political conflict continues to negatively impact the flow of cargo to and from the port, especially after the government curbed imports due to severe foreign currency shortage. During the past couple of months, export and import volumes dropped more than 25%, according to local officials who expect the situation to improve in January next year. China Given the COVID-19 situation in the country and the drop in demand, export container volumes from Chinese ports generally dropped 3.5% last month. However, domestic containerised trade grew by 26% according to Seatrade Maritime News. Shanghai>> Port operators are taking measures to ensure the smooth flow of global trade through the port. According to a report by Bloomberg, Shanghai Port is keeping international vessels in a "closed-loop zone" to avoid delays. The port is generally operating without extended waiting times. Hapag-Lloyd recently reported that the average berth-waiting time is 0 to 0.5 days at Shanghai's terminals and overall yard utilization is approximately 70%. Yantian>> With an investment of about $1.6 billion the Yantian International Container Terminal (YICT) plans to add three automated container berths at the east operation area of Yantian Port. The new 200,000 tonnes-class berths are expected to expand the capacity of the port by 3m TEU annually. YICT intends to use automation and intelligence technologies in this project to improve the port’s handling efficiency. Japan Yokohama>> A new improvement project was announced for the D5 terminal at Yokohama Port. According to local news, the project intends to increase the international competitiveness of the port and it will include full-scale improvement of the terminal’s quay. The port will also invest in improving its carbon neutrality and the redevelopment of the cargo handling areas. Kyrgyzstan Bishkek>> As one of the most landlocked countries in Asia, the government of Kyrgyzstan signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi Ports Group to use 300,000 sqm of the free Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi (KEZAD) to serve as a logistics hub and customs-free zone for the country. The project aims to facilitate cargo import and export to and from the Kyrgyz Republic, announced AD Ports in a press release. South Korea Busan>> Busan Port Authority (BPA) announced that the volume of container cargo handled at the port in November reached 1.7m TEU registering a decrease of 2% year-on-year. The port mentioned that this decrease was mainly caused by a decline in transhipments. Export volumes, however, reported a slight increase of 1% last month to about 419,000 TEU and imports increased by 6% to about 420,000 TEU. EUROPE Antwerp-Bruges Port Authority and Port of Rotterdam Authority will make it mandatory to use a bunker measuring system on board bunker vessels. The timeline of this measure will be defined after port authorities identify suitable bunker measuring systems during the first half of 2023. The system aims at measuring the exact amount of fuel delivered to sea-going vessels and making bunkering at the ports more transparent, efficient and reliable, Lloyd’s List reported. Belgium Antwerp>> Belgium’s largest port will install 14 new automated stacking cranes (ASCs) for its Europa Terminal, reported Container Management. The new cranes are expected to increase the terminal’s capacity by 40% and will enable servicing next-generation vessels. Netherlands Rotterdam>> The go-slow action across the port ended on 22 December, while operations returned to normal at Maasvlakte II on Friday 16 December as the unions and terminal operators continue to negotiate in good faith, reported Maersk. On another note, the Port of Rotterdam together with Portugal’s Sines Port agreed to establish a green corridor and a green hydrogen production unit in Sines. Poland Gdynia>> Gdynia Port signed an agreement with International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) extending its lease of the Baltic Container Terminal (BCT) to 30 years. The agreement will include future investments to upgrade the terminal’s infrastructure and enable it to handle larger container ships. Spain Gijón>> The rail-port system at the Port of Gijón will receive a digital transformation to improve the management of rail traffic within the port area. Port authorities said the main objective of the new digital solutions is to monitor and coordinate rail traffic and facilitate the exchange of information in the European rail freight services. MIDDLE EAST Saudi Arabia Riyadh>> Saudi Arabia is investing about $2.4 billion to buy stakes in DP World developments in the UAE, reported Bloomberg. The investment includes stakes in Jebel Ali Port, Jebel Ali Free Zone, and the National Industries Park. The country has also been working to transform its container shipping sector to quadruple its annual container throughput to 40 million TEU by 2030. NORTH AMERICA Canada Prince Rupert>> DP World Prince Rupert’s Fairview Container Terminal reached a milestone in terms of reducing its emission after it expanded its shore power capacity. The new system allows ships to shut down their main generators and rely on dockside power connections while their cargo is being loaded and unloaded, wrote Container News. This new improvement is expected to reduce carbon emissions by almost 30,000 tonnes annually. USA Houston>> Container volumes at Houston Port grew by 11% in November year-on-year reaching over 340,000 TEU. Since the beginning of 2021, the port saw a 17% growth in container volumes exceeding the mark of 3.5m TEU. However, port authorities expect the growth levels to wane in the next few months. Roger Guenther, executive director at Port Houston, said, "Our vessel queue is now reduced to single digits and will likely be caught up in the coming weeks.” Los Angeles>> Two trucking companies received an investment of $6 million from the Port of Los Angeles to accelerate the transition to zero-emission drayage to serve the port. The investment will include deploying zero-emission trucks and putting 22 pre-production emissions-free models in port service during 2023, Container News reported. Seattle and Tacoma>> The Northwest Seaport Alliance (operating the ports of Seattle and Tacoma) witnessed a sharp decrease in container volumes in November dropping by 24% compared to last year. Full imports and exports decreased by 31% in the same period. Port authorities attributed the decline to weak volumes and void sailings by ocean carriers. OCEANIA Australia Melbourne>> The total container throughput of Melbourne Port decreased by 8.4% in November year-on-year. Oversees imports decreased by 12% in November and exports were down by 13% in the same period. According to the port operator, port congestion continues to be an issue in the Australian port. SOUTH AMERICA Brazil Itajaí>> An agreement was reached allowing APM Terminals to continue operating Itajaí Port for the year 2023. While port authorities initially wanted to grant the agreement to CTIL Logistica, Brazil’s National Waterway Transport Agency (Antaq) said there is no sufficient evidence that CTIL has enough experience to successfully manage the port. Santos>> Brazil's incoming minister of ports and airports, Marcio Franca, told local news that the government no longer wishes to privatize the port of Santos. While no clear reasons for this decision were communicated, the minister said they would consider privatising some port terminals while keeping the port authority state-owned.