Chennai Port’s cargo handling performance may have dipped but there is something to cheer as the export of automobiles increased from April 2019 to December 2019. Chennai Port Trust chairman P Raveendran said though the port is facing challenges in cargo performance due to external conditions and severe competition in the region, auto exports have increased to 1,43,388 cars from April 2019 to December 2019 when compared to 98,250 cars in the same period last year.
This was due to recent initiatives in signing a long-term agreement with KIA Motors and they have already exported 11,283 cars till December 2019. “Our long-standing customer, Hyundai, increased export to 1,31,504 cars from the level of 97,935 cars in the previous year, which is about 46 per cent, compared to last year.
He said the port has handled 10,66,000 TEUs containers up to December as against 12,33,000 TEUs during the same period previous year. “There has been a marginal increase of 3 per cent in the petroleum products handled. The Port is making all efforts to ensure that the streams of cargo where there is reduction is brought back, by marketing initiatives,” he said. He said coaches and locomotives meant for Sri Lankan Railways were handled during December 2019.
