Namibia’s ports of Walvis Bay and Lüderitz have recorded above-average figures for landed and shipped cargo.
According to a media release by the country’s ports authority, this is despite “a taxing year, with global economic setbacks with the logistics and shipping industry”, which included container shortages and escalating liner rates.
Writing in Quayside Bulletin, Namport says: “The Ports Authority saw a 4% increase in cargo landed and 13% increase in cargo shipped, compared to the same period for the previous financial year.
“That reflects an increase of 5%.
“This can be attributed to the total cargo volumes increasing by 21%.”
At Walvis Bay exports were mainly driven by bulk salt, charcoal, fish and related products for the fishery industry.
At Lüderitz manganese and ice dominated exports.
Incoming cargo volumes at Walvis consisted mainly of petroleum, wheat and sugar.
Petroleum also drove landed volumes at Lüderitz, as well as wet fish.
Broken down into percentages, Walvis recorded throughput growth of 2.6% in imports and 8% in exports.
Lüderitz yielded major throughput increases of 86.81% in imports and 24.88% in exports – although this could be a reflection of coming off a relatively low base.
Nevertheless, it still translates into throughput metric tonnage of 34 200 and 143 933 respectively.
Namport says when the current financial year is wrapped up on March 31, it expects to reveal further improvements in year-on-year volumes handled at the two ports.
