Ports and Shipping

As introduced by the Taiwan Yearbook 2006:

Ports and Shipping in Taiwan

Maritime transportation is vital to Taiwan's trade-oriented economy. At the end of 2005, Taiwan's shipping fleet included 270 vessels with a weight of 100 gross tons or more each, and had a combined weight of 3.38 million gross tons (5.48 million deadweight tons, DWT).

In 2005, Taiwan had 149 shipping carriers, among which Evergreen Marine Corporation (EMC), Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp., and Wan Hai Lines Ltd. provided container transportation services, while U-Ming Marine Transport Corporation offered bulk transportation services.

Several measures have been adopted to improve the shipping environment and raise Taiwan's international competitiveness. Plans are underway to facilitate cross-strait shipping; relevant shipping laws and regulations have been undergoing review; ship owners are encouraged to register their newly purchased vessels as national-flag carriers so as to expand the national shipping fleet; budgets are being allocated each year for professional maritime training to enhance local seafarers' expertise; and organizational reforms are being carried out to streamline and increase administrative efficiency.

To keep pace with global trends of liberalization and internationalization, attract foreign investment, and raise Taiwan's international competitiveness, the port authorities have developed Free Trade Zones (FTZs) at the island's four international ports: Kaohsiung, Keelung, Taichung, and Taipei.

Security measures have been promoted continually in response to the International Ship and Port Facilities Security (ISPS) Code and to amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) adopted by the International Maritime Organization. Review and certification of domestic ships' security plans were completed in June 2004, and all Port Facility Security Assessment (PFSA) and Port Facility Security Plan (PFSP) work was completed in May 2004.

Taiwan has seven international ports: Keelung, Suao, Taipei, Taichung, Hualien, Anping, and Kaohsiung. Of these, both Suao and Taipei serve as auxiliary ports to Keelung, as Anping does to Kaohsiung.

Kaohsiung Port

Kaohsiung Port handled nearly 9.47 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2005, making it the sixth-largest container port in the world.

This port features 118 operating berths, totaling 26.6 km in length, which can accommodate up to 153 ships (including mooring buoys) at any one time. It has five container terminals, 26 container wharves, 67 gantry cranes, two grain silos, and 293.5 hectares of container yards.

A sixth container terminal is currently being constructed to meet future demand and is scheduled to be completed in 2010. Its quay will be around 1.5 km long and cover 74.8 hectares.

Kaohsiung Port container terminals provide prompt, accurate, and comprehensive logistical services, with a container handling capacity of up to ten million TEUs annually. Its strategic location makes it an ideal choice for a marine transportation hub in East Asia.

To enhance the port's competitiveness, the Kaohsiung Harbor Bureau (KHB) set up an FTZ, which went into operation in January 2005. The FTZ encompasses all of the port's five container terminals and has a total area of 397.69 hectares.

Keelung Port

Located near the northern tip of Taiwan, Keelung Port has 57 berths. Its two container terminals, one each on its eastern and western banks, have 15 container berths equipped with 29 gantry cranes capable of handling 13-18 rows of containers at a time.

In 2005, Keelung Port handled over 2.09 million TEUs, making it among the top 40 container ports in the world. To meet the requirements of global shipping, two dredging programs were completed in January 2001, increasing the depth of the main channel to 15.5 m and enlarging the diameter of its turning basin to 650 m. Keelung Port can now accommodate vessels of 60,000 DWT. To promote operational efficiency and improve quality of service, stevedoring in Keelung Port was opened to private companies in January 1999.

The Keelung FTZ, which went into operation on October 1, 2004, comprises an area of 53 hectares from West Wharves No. 11 to 33 on the west bank, and an area of 14 hectares from East Wharves No. 6 to 22 on the east bank.

Taichung Port

Taichung Port is a man-made port covering a total area of about 3,760 hectares. Located on the west coast of central Taiwan, the harbor was designed to help cope with the fast growing needs of national economic development, and to relieve some of the shipping traffic from the heavily used Keelung and Kaohsiung ports.

Taichung Port's main channel is 16 m deep and its turning basin is 14 m deep at low tide. The port has 46 deep-water wharves and eight container piers. Since most of its equipment is automated, Taichung Port is very efficient.

In 2005, the harbor handled 1.23 million TEUs of cargo weighing 88.43 million metric tons. Taichung Port's FTZ began operation in October 2005; at 536 hectares, it is the country's largest.

Hualien Port

Located on Taiwan's east coast, Hualien Port is an artificial harbor formed by eastern and western breakwaters. It faces the Pacific Ocean to the east and is flanked by the island's Central Mountains to the west.

The port has 25 berths capable of handling up to 34 million metric tons of cargo annually, and is fully equipped to meet most commercial shipping needs. In 2005, the port handled 21.95 million metric tons of cargo, a record high and an increase of 0.91 percent from the previous year. In line with the government's policy objectives, the port will continue to develop its infrastructure to maintain its international competitiveness and promote tourist activities such as cruise lines and whale watching tours.

Auxiliary Ports

Taipei Port

Located on the south bank of the Danshuei River near Bali Township's Syuntang Village in Taipei County, Taipei Port is being developed to serve as an auxiliary harbor relieving some of the heavy traffic using Keelung Port. The first of a three-phase construction has been completed, and the port is already equipped with two berths 9 m deep totaling 340 m in length, and a 70-hectare stacking yard. The second phase, due to be completed by 2014, includes construction of an outer breakwater 9,264 m in length (of which 7,074 m have already been completed) and seven container berths. The third phase involves construction of another 18 berths. Taipei Port's FTZ, covering 79 hectares in its initial phase, began operation in September 2005.

Suao Port

Suao Port also serves as an auxiliary harbor for Keelung Port. Located in Yilan County on Taiwan's northeast coast, the harbor covers about 2.9 sq. km and currently has 13 operating berths totaling 2,610 m in length. Measuring between 7.5 m and 15 m deep, these are capable of accommodating Post-Panamax vessels. A total of 654 vessels passed through Suao Port in 2005, carrying more than 6.52 million metric tons of goods, an increase of 7.37 percent over 2004.

Anping Port

Located in Tainan City, Anping Port serves as an auxiliary harbor to Kaohsiung Port. At present, it has a total of 2,567 m of wharves with 16 operating berths, and includes an 11.5 m deep channel that can accommodate ships of up to 20,000 DWT. In 2005, 905 vessels visited Anping Port, carrying more than 6.70 million metric tons of cargo, which represents an increase of 31.6 percent on 2004.