CARGO shipments moving in and out of the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (PPAP) increased 29 per cent in the first six months of this year when compared to the same period in 2012, according to official data.

The figures show that imported and exported goods amounted to about 50,000 20-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, for the six month period. Last year the port recorded a little under 39,160 TEUs.

The port cooperated with Vietnam’s Cai Mep port to transfer goods from Cambodia to other countries, particularly in shipments to and from Chinese markets.

There was a slight deficit between imports (about 190,000 tonnes) and exports (about 167,000 tonnes), according to the data.

Sin Chanthy, general secretary of Cambodia Freight Forwarders Association and the director general of Linelhaul Express Co Ltd, said transportation of goods through Phnom Penh Autonomous Port is increasing due to demand from local markets and abroad.

Construction materials, especially steel and supplies of raw materials for the textile industry, made of the majority of imports.

Agricultural products like milled rice dominated exports.

Cambodia’s vast quantity of garment exports and other items destined for the European markets typically travel through the Sihanoukville port.

Chanthy noted that most of the PPAP traffic transport is connected with markets in China, which relies on the Vietnam Port to move goods.

“I think that, although this is high growth in transportation activities in PPAP, the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port is still more active and busier.”

Lim Bun Heng, President of Loran Company, a rice export company to international markets, said small amounts of his goods, about only about 10 per cent, crossed Phnom Penh Autonomous Port for export to China or Hong Kong.

“Phnom Penh Port is still important and could get even busier if markets in China start ordering more goods from Cambodia,” he said.