Northport shatters records in conventional cargo, driven by diversity and resilience

NORTHPORT (Malaysia) Bhd (Northport), a subsidiary of MMC Corporation Berhad, sailed into 2024 with a resounding success after breaking its own record in the conventional cargo segment.

In 2023, Northport handled a staggering 11,405,312 freight weight tonnes (FWT) of conventional cargo, a 2.6 per cent increase over the previous year's 11,115,670 FWT.

This remarkable achievement was announced by Northport CEO Datuk Azman Shah Mohd Yusof during the company's New Year celebration on Dec 31.

"With the conclusion of 2023, the conventional cargo segment wraps up the year with a remarkable success, surpassing the previous record with a 2.6 per cent increase.

"This record-breaking performance was contributed by a significant increase in the handling of general bulk cargo, which recorded a growth of 9.5 per cent compared to the previous year, along with increases in the dry bulk and bulk cargo segments.

"In the Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) segment, the company also witnessed a significant increase in the handling of electric vehicles (EV) in 2023, following the government's policy to promote EVs," he said in a statement, yesterday.

Azman also disclosed that Northport's success last year came with challenges due to the world's slow economic recovery from major trading nations and global trade uncertainties, especially during the first half of 2023.

He added that the company faced additional challenges in handling conventional cargo operations during the rainy season, especially in the last quarter of the previous year.

"Normally, conventional cargo operations will be suspended during the rain.

"Due to these challenges, achieving a record-breaking performance in 2023 is a highly proud accomplishment.

"Northport also recorded the highest monthly handling for conventional cargo in October, reaching 1,129,145 FWT, surpassing the previous best record of 1,078,538 FWT in May 2022.

"We faced constraints in terms of land space but overcame them through high productivity and process improvements," he said.

Meanwhile, he thanked all Northport staff for their dedication, commitment, and hard work, which drove this success.

"We would also like to express our appreciation to all customers, contractors, and stakeholders for their support that made 2023 another excellent year for Northport.

"These consecutive record-breaking achievements will continue to inspire and drive us to achieve greater success," Azman added.