Can anything stop Singapore’s ports dominating in Southeast Asia?
ASEAN TODAY - 7 OCT 2017
PSA Terminals in Singapore now handles a fifth of the world’s transshipped containers, making it the second largest container port in the world. It receives more than 33 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually. The only port with a larger annual TEU volume is Shanghai.
Why is Singapore becoming a shipping powerhouse?
In recent years, Singapore’s annual container throughput has remained consistent and reported volume growth has been marginal. So, why are companies moving to Singapore in their droves now?
Malaysian ports have always had the advantage of cheaper rates thanks to lower port tariffs and a cheaper ringgit, but last year PSA reduced its fees by
10% to become more competitive and increase its transhipment revenue. Without the higher costs, many shipping companies are now willing to relocate to Singapore.
The decision for shipping companies to transition to Singapore makes geographical sense. The position of Singapore at the mouth of the Malacca Strait means that many firms
will save money on transportation costs. Shipping companies often unload shipments into smaller vessels to access regional ports in Southeast Asia. Geographically, Malaysia’s ports sit further into the Malacca Strait, which means ships have to travel further to unload.
Shipping Association of Malaysia Chairman, Ooi Lean Hin, estimated that in some cases, these smaller ships would
travel 600km less by loading and unloading in Singapore.
One business owner also
cited the Malaysian working culture as a factor in Port Klang’s decline. “Shipping is a 24-hour game,”
adding, “too many holidays are bad for business.”
The development of smaller ports in the region has also contributed to Singapore’s growth. Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City
can now accept large ships into their ports. Given Singapore’s proximity to Jakarta, shipping companies are now more likely to stop at PSA, rather than Malaysia, for their transhipment needs.
Automation is the future of the shipping industry
Singapore’s PSA Terminal is one of the most advanced in the world. Its investment in new technologies like
the Computer Integrated Terminal Operations Systems (CITOS) and PORTNET allows authorities to
better detect anomalies, minimising theft and piracy, and saving shipping companies money. Singapore is also exploring the introduction of
driverless vehicles to further streamline the ports of the future. As levels of automation increase, Singapore’s rates will only become more competitive.
Will Malaysia’s planned expansions threaten Singapore’s dominance?
In August 2017, the Malaysian government began construction on the
RM55 billion (US$ 13.1 billion) East Coast Rail Link project which will link Port Klang with Kuantan Port on the South China Sea. Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak
hopes this will establish Malaysia as an “alternative trade route” in the region.
There are also plans for an
RM800 million (US$191 million) expansion project on Port Klang, part of a wider
RM5 billion (US$1.2 billion) project to expand the three largest ports in the country.
But with China
financing the projects, the decision to move Ocean Alliance to Singapore raises concerns about Chinese commitment to the project. Chinese state-owned Cosco Shipping is part of Ocean Alliance which moved to Singapore in April. If the Chinese government were serious about bringing these projects to fruition and generating revenue from them, it would not have endorsed the move to Singapore which has been so damaging to the Malaysian shipping industry.
So far, only a project to
expand Kuantan Port has received the promised Chinese financial backing. The sustained Chinese commitment to Kuantan is likely only because the Port lies on the South China Sea and could help China further their territorial claims in the region.
Singapore itself is expanding, but this does not secure its future
This year the Singaporean government began construction on the new Tuas mega-port. Due for completion in 2040, the port will have a handling capacity of
65 million TEUs annually and use drones to load vessels.
Despite the current successes, Singapore’s future position as the dominant player in the Southeast Asian shipping industry is far from guaranteed. New shipping routes could pose a threat to the country in the future.
The biggest threat to the Singapore shipping industry comes from a force more powerful and far-reaching than anything it has faced before. As the ice caps melt, new, shorter, Arctic shipping routes are opening in the North. These routes offer an alternative route to connect Europe to Asia. Some routes across Russia are already operating, with
6.5 million tonnes of cargo transported via the north last year.
Rajit Biswas, chief economist at IHS Markit Asia-Pacific,
said, “rapid growth is expected in tonnage shipped on this route over the next decade.”
With its high levels of automation and competitive price, it is unlikely any of Singapore’s neighbours or industry rivals will be able to challenge their dominance in the region. However, the natural forces at work changing the earth’s landscape will stop for nobody. No matter how much a country modernises or how many mega ports it constructs, nothing can compete with mother nature.