Harbour Centre posts 20% hike in cargo volume

Harbour Centre Port Terminal (HCPT) reported yesterday a 20 percent increase in cargo volume to 333,949 metric tons in August from 279,422 metric tons in July this year.

The increase brought the total cargo volume to 1.16 million metric tons in the first eight months of the year.

Harbour Centre’s fast-paced growth is giving stiff competition to the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) and Asian Terminal Inc. (ATI).

In fact, ICTSI and ATI are opposing the grant of a permit to HCPT to operate as a private commercial port by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).

HCPT is a 10-hectare private port within the Manila Harbour Centre. HCPT currently handles only non-containerized cargo.

It reportedly services 90 percent of international non-containerized vessels entering the country.

It is still applying for a permit to handle containerized cargo shipments which are currently being handled by ICTSI and ATI.

HCPT’s gross revenues from January to July amounted to P162.03 million. Net income stood at P32.76 million during the seven month period.