Container throughput up 6.1% in 2025 despite uncertainty over global tariffs: Chee Hong Tat
The growth could have come from companies trying to frontload shipments ahead of the of implementation of higher tariff rates by the Americans. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
Container throughput up 6.1% in 2025 despite uncertainty over global tariffs: Chee Hong Tat
SINGAPORE - Singapore's port handled 6.1 per cent more containers in the first four months of 2025 than in the same period last year , despite the disruptions to supply chains caused by tariffs imposed by the United States.
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said container throughput reached 14.18 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers between January and April this year.
'Container (throughput) has remained strong despite what's happening around the world, with greater turbulence, uncertainty and shifts in global supply chains,' he said, adding that the government was continuing to monitor the fluid situation.
He explained that the growth could have come from companies trying to frontload shipments ahead of the of implementation of higher tariff rates by the Americans.
Mr Chee was speaking to reporters during a visit to the PSA Pasir Panjang Terminal Building on May 16, where he had been inspecting an ongoing trial to use autonomous prime movers.
On May 12, the US and China had agreed to suspend part of their tariffs on their respective exports for 90 days.
This was the latest development in what has become a tit-for-tat exchange between the two superpowers over trade, since US President Donald Trump announced sweeping global tariffs on April 2.
When asked if there are contingency plans in the event of a slowdown in the medium term, Mr Chee said that this is being handled by the task force chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who is also the Minister of Trade and Industry.
'In the near term, we will be monitoring the situation and where necessary, the Government will intervene to help our companies and workers,' Mr Chee added.
The largest port operator here, PSA Singapore, handled a 40.9 million TEUs in 2024, an increase of 5.6 per cent over 2023.
Mr Chee said Singapore can strengthen its competitiveness by making what he called 'no regret moves'.
This includes investment in productivity improvements and technology, attracting new investment and working with the existing players to expand their operations in Singapore.
He said that vessel certification organisations like the American Bureau of Shipping, Chinese Classification Society and Rina will be investing more than $20 million over the next five years in Singapore, focusing on areas like maritime safety and electrification.
Mr Chee also said PSA will be recruiting more than 2,500 staff in 2025 to support the development of Tuas Port, which now has 11 berths in operation with plans for another seven to be added by 2027. The roles include those in frontline port operations, information technology and data science.
Noting the role that technology can play to boost Singapore's competitiveness and productivity, Mr Chee said that efforts like the trials to deploy autonomous vehicles at the port will help address the shortage of drivers of heavy vehicles.
For instance, the use of autonomous prime movers, which are currently employed to transport trailers carrying containers within the port, could be expanded.
Mr Chee said the next step will be to work with the Land Transport Authority to identify how such technologies can be taken onto the roads beyond the port.
This could mean plying routes between Pasir Panjang and Tuas or between the Tuas Port and the surrounding industrial estates, he said.
The trial of autonomous prime movers started in 2023, and PSA currently has 30 prime movers in its fleet.
Currently, each vehicle is supervised by a human controller in the command centre who can take over if an issue arises. Eventually, fewer controllers will be required to manage the vehicles, reducing the manpower demands.
Lee Nian Tjoe is senior transport correspondent at The Straits Times, where he also oversees the Motoring section.
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