It handled 2.66 million TEUs last year - up 30.20 per cent. This surpasses its own earlier estimates of 2.5 million TEUs for 2002.

PTP said in a statement that 95 per cent of last year's volumes were trans-shipment containers. Local exports and imports made up the rest. The strong growth stemmed partly from PTP's efforts in securing new markets for cargo. The shift by Taiwan's Evergreen Marine Corp in late August 2002 also significantly boosted PTP's volumes.

PTP chief executive officer Mohd Sidik Shaikh Osman said in the statement that the port, Singapore's closest and most serious rival for regional trans-shipment cargo, was confident of achieving a further 30 per cent growth this year.

He added that the shifting of BMW's operations to PTP would enable the port to be more competitive to attract other major international players to base their operations and distribution at the port.

To handle the increasing volume, PTP is developing Phase Two, which involves the reclamation of an
additional eight berths. When two of these berths are completed early next year, PTP will be able to handle six million TEUs annually.