Biz talks

Throughput to stay weak

China's container terminal throughput will likely remain weak in the global economic slowdown, and expanding terminal supply and shrinking demand should squeeze port charges in 2009, Australia's largest investment bank Macquarie Group said in a recent report.

Macquarie estimated that container terminal capacity around Bohai Rim will likely increase by 28 percent in 2009. But Dalian Port container throughput was estimated to drop by 6 percent, and port charges to drop by 5 percent.