- Port Strategy says that APM Terminals has reduced costs by moving cranes between ports instead of purchasing new equipment.
Without doubt, many will be thankful to see the back of 2009. Container terminal operators in particular will look back upon the year as its Annus Horribilis, its worst ever since 1956.
The industry had, until July 2008, been quite accustomed to an annual growth rate in container volume of about 10% and, as a consequence, heavily invested in capacity expansion projects. Now, the game has changed. Profitability is the buzz word, which is invariably a euphemism for port executives to develop a completely different mindset; one geared towards reducing operating costs. This, apparently, is the “new reality”.