|
ASIA,
North America and Europe were the three
largest markets for the Chinese-made containers,
which imported 95 per cent of the Chinese
boxes, according to a Xinhua report.
Additionally,
the volumes of China's container imports
and exports have been growing significantly
over the past few years, and the high growth
rate is expected to continue this year.
In
2013, the full-year container exports grew
at the beginning of the year but declined
at the end. Conversely, the box imports
hit the full-year low in January but rebounded
to the peak in December.
According
to the figures from China's General Administration
of Customs (GAC), container exports to Asian
countries rose 15.9 per cent in value to
US$2.81 billion, accounting for 35.7 per
cent of the total export value.
However,
box exports to North America, which accounted
for 33.2 per cent of the whole in value,
declined 12 per cent to $2.61 billion. The
volume also decreased 10.3 per cent to 609,700
boxes.
Moreover,
exports to Europe fell 20.9 per cent to
$2.04 billion in value, accounting for 26
per cent of the whole. Likewise, the volume
also dropped 21.8 per cent to 422,500 boxes.
Most
of these containers were exported to the
US, Hong Kong and the UK. Exports to the
US valued $2.36 billion, down 13.4 per cent
year on year, while the volume dropped 11.3
per cent to 577,600 boxes.
Exports
to Hong Kong hit $1.54 billion, down 7.1
per cent; also, the volume dropped 1.3 per
cent to 468,100 boxes.
Exports
to the UK valued $797 million, representing
a year-on-year increase of 17.7 per cent.
The volume also hiked 16.7 per cent year
on year to 135,400 boxes.
Guangdong
is the largest Chinese province in terms
of container exports in both value and quantity.
It accounted for 25.4 per cent of the aggregate
exports in value to $2 billion last year,
down 3.8 per cent compared to the previous
year. Yet the volume grew 15.2 per cent
to 577,900 boxes.
Jiangsu
province came next with a container export
value of $1.73 billion, growing 13.6 per
cent year on year and accounting for 22
per cent of the whole. The province's export
box volume also rose 23.6 per cent to 393,200
boxes in 2013.
Though
Shanghai has been the biggest container
port in the world in the past few years,
when it comes to container exports, Shanghai
only ranked third with a value of $1.29
billion, falling 9.1 per cent year on year
and accounting for 16.4 per cent of the
whole. In terms of volume, the city's box
export quantity dropped 9.1 per cent to
216,200 units.
Jiangsu,
an eastern coastal province of China that
borders Shandong in the north, Anhui to
the west, and Zhejiang and Shanghai to the
south, was the fastest growing province
in container exports last year, while Shandong
experienced the worst performance with a
20.5 decrease in value.
Albeit
China's total 2013 value of inbound and
outbound containers shrank 6.5 per cent
year on year to $7.9 billion, the imports
of overseas-made containers and the exports
of domestic-made containers grew 8.9 per
cent year on year in volume to 2.7 million
boxes.
The
value of domestic-made container exports
amounted to $7.88 billion last year, seeing
a 400 per cent increase against 2009's value
at $1.93 billion, but export prices fell
by 14 per cent. On the contrary, the value
of imported boxes hiked 19.5 per cent to
$15.54 million, while prices suffered a
daunting 52.4 per cent decline.
In
December 2013, the value of China's container
exports amounted to $800 million, seeing
a growth of $248 million from November,
which is also the highest monthly export
value since June. Nonetheless, compared
to the same period in 2012, the value contracted
three per cent due to the falling prices
although the volume of container exports
increased 3.6 per cent year on year to 253,000
boxes.
In
contrast to the performance of box exports,
the container imports hit full-year trough
in January and grew afterwards to reach
the pinnacle in December.
The
container imports in December gained the
highest monthly value of the year at $2.67
million, up 166.5 per cent year on year,
but the imported box volume was down 33.3
per cent year on year. Compared to November,
the said value increased by $1.38 million.
Large-scale
and specialised containers were prevailing
in terms of exports, and 40-foot equivalent
units (FEU) absorbed nearly 60 per cent
of the total container exports and continued
to gain momentum to growth.
In
2013, 40-foot equivalent units (FEU) account
for 58 per cent of China's container exports,
amounting to $4.57 billion.
Forty-foot
tank containers surged 85.2 per cent in
value to $97.59 million, accounting for
1.2 per cent of the total. Their volume
soared 132.4 per cent to 23,900 units, accounting
for 0.9 per cent. Yet their export prices
fell 20.3 per cent.
Forty-foot
temperature controlled containers dropped
13.6 per cent in value to $1.45 billion,
absorbing 18.5 per cent of the aggregate
value. Their volume fell 16.2 per cent to
90,400 units, accounting for 3.4 per cent
of the total. The export prices also grew
3.1 per cent.
Other
40-foot containers accounted for 38.3 per
cent of the total export value, dipping
0.2 per cent to $3.01 billion. Their volume
increased 11.3 per cent to 775,200 units,
accounting for 28.8 per cent of the total.
However, the export prices contracted 10.3
per cent.
Besides,
20-foot containers absorbed 32.2 per cent
of the total box exports with a value of
$2.53 billion.
And
the 20-foot temperature-controlled containers
account for two per cent of the total box
exports, equivalent to $154 million, up
12.6 per cent year on year.
Volume
of 20-foot temperature-controlled containers
grew 21.7 per cent to 11,300 units, accounting
for 0.4 per cent of the total, while export
prices fell 7.5 per cent.
Export
value of other types of 20-foot containers
amounted to $1.76 billion, accounting for
22.4 per cent of the total, down 21 per
cent year on year. And the volumes hit 737,400
units, accounting for 27.4 per cent of the
total, also down 15.1 per cent. Export prices
shrank seven per cent.
Export
value of 20-foot tank containers dropped
0.2 per cent to $614 million, accounting
for 7.8 per cent. Export volumes also declined
4.5 per cent to 49,500 units, accounting
for 1.8 per cent, while prices increased
3.8 per cent.
And
the aggregate export value of 45-, 48- and
53-foot containers amounted to $353 million,
accounting for 4.5 per cent of the total,
up 3.7 per cent year on year, while the
volumes hit 43,900 units, absorbing 1.6
per cent of the total, up 17.5 per cent.
Still, export prices dropped 11.8 per cent.
Looking
ahead, China's container imports and exports
are projected to have continuous growth
in 2014.
|
