BEIRUT: The total tonnage of loaded and unloaded merchandise at the Port of Beirut fell by 0.8 percent in the first four months of 2011 relative to the same period of 2010 to reach 2,060 tons.
The number of containers at the port, another important indicator of trade activity, decreased by a yearly 1.9 percent to reach 183,320 containers. This figure encompasses all incoming and outgoing containers at the port. Transshipments totaled 141,575 containers, up by 38.6 percent. In parallel, the number of ships that used the port in the first four months of 2011 declined by 6.3 percent, amounting to 709 in total.
The port’s activities picked up after the 2006 war as the number of ships and cargoes rose sharply. The port is a major source of revenue for the government with 90 percent of all imported items coming through it. It underwent expansion in 2002-04 to increase its handling capacity.