26 Tokyo Throughput: 4,134,549teu (+0.3%)

The port of Tokyo saw relatively stable volumes in 2008, with 8,388 vessel calls recorded. However, the port is likely to see throughput decline as the economic downturn continues to depress exports. Japanese exports fell 40.9% in May, compared with the previous year, while shipments to China showed little improvement and exports to the US fell 45%.

A port spokesman tells Cargo Systems: "Although the influence of a global simultaneous recession greatly affected export cargo, it didn't have much affect on import cargo."

Export cargo in 2008 accounted for 1,727,769teu, while imports were 1,997,378teu, although these figures include transhipment volumes. The coastwise service feeder carried 409,402teu.

The intra-Asia market continues to be well served, with lines launching services and new port calls. For example, Japan's Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha teamed up with Tokyo Senpaku Kaisha, the intra-Asia arm of NYK, to launch a joint Japan-Jakarta service in mid-May.

The operation merged two existing independent services that followed the fall in cargo volumes on the trade. The carriers have deployed four 1,700teu boxships on the weekly service.

Meanwhile, the port continues to run efficiently, claiming an average of 35 crane moves per hour. It is continuing with plans to become a Japanese "super hub port", and capacity is scheduled to increase to 4.6m teu by the end of 2010.