Marine Department, Hong Kong SAR - HKU Libraries - The ...

world's leading container port
i Chung Container Port achieved high n
•ic throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and u
Superior container port prospers as agents
reap the rewards of private enterprise
Privately owned terminal operators
have led the way to success at Kwai
Chung Container Port, with a perfect
blend of efficiency and investment,
they provide an impeccable service
that will ensure continued growth.
Kwai Chung Container Port
THE jewel in the crown of the Port of
Hong Kong is the Kwai Chung
Container Port. Located on the
Rambler Channel on the western side
of the Kowloon Peninsula, Kwai
Chung is the home of the most
productive container terminals in the
world and serves as a shining
example of the efficiency delivered
by Hong Kong's private sector-led
development model.
Operations at the container port
began in 1972 with the arrival of the
first container vessel to Hong Kong
waters. Development accelerated
following the opening of the Chinese
mainland to international trade in
1978, which allowed Kwai Chung to
achieve double-digit growth rates in
container traffic throughout the 1980s
and early 1990s.
Of the 14.5 million TEUs handled
in Hong Kong in 1997, Kwai Chung's
privately-owned terminal operators
handled just under two-thirds (9.49
million TEUs), representing a rise of
9.3 percent over 1996.
There are currently eight container
terminals at Kwai Chung, divided
between four operators — Modern
Terminals Ltd (MTL), COSCO-HIT
Terminals (CHT), Hongkong
International Terminals (HIT) and Sea-
Land Orient Terminals (SLOT).
Productivity at Kwai Chung has
continued to increase over recent
years following heavy investment by
operators on modern container
handling equipment and information
technology systems. As a result, the
operation of Kwai Chung continues