THE total amount of goods shipped through the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port increased 44 percent in 2010 compared to a year earlier, and it plans to ship a further 20 percent this year.

Some 62,256 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) were shipped through the port in 2010, according to a report yesterday.

Port Director Hei Bavy told The Post the port plans to ship about 75,000 TEUs of freight this year, banking on increased goods from the Kingdom’s economy.

The 2010 increase was partly due to eased shipping requirements between Cambodia and Vietnam, he said.

“We received more shipments last year because both governments worked to facilitate access for ships,” he said. “It is also due to our port being located near production and construction sites.”

Cambodia and Vietnam agreed to collaborate more extensively on shipping goods via water in a memorandum of understanding  signed by representatives of both countries on December 17, 2009.

Under the terms of the MoU, ships from Cambodia have direct access to Vietnam’s Cai Mep deep water port with relatively few restrictions, while Vietnamese ships can access Phnom Penh Autonomous Port, according to Hei Bavy.

“We hope the port will be able to ship more goods this year, because Cambodia has planned to export more rice to international markets,” he said yesterday.

Currently, the port mainly receives shipments such as raw materials for the garment sector, construction materials, and fuels, according to a report from Phnom Penh Autonomous Port.