Hong Kong recognised that Shenzhen was a grave threat to its container-handling future as far back as 2004, when its government put together the Hong Kong Port Master Plan 2020. The principal aim of the plan is to enhance Hong Kong's own competitiveness. The executive summary of the master plan states: 'Hong Kong Port is under threat as new port developments in Shenzhen capture market share of the regional import/export cargo (direct ocean cargo) - the critical driver of port throughput and related activity.' The Master plan makes clear that high trucking and (to a lesser extent) THC costs in Hong Kong are the main reasons that the port is losing trade to Shenzhen. When Hong Kong Container Terminal Operators Association (HKCTOA) spoke to CI recently, it agreed that this was the main issue.
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