Okinawa eyes hub status

NICT, an affiliate of Philippines-based International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI), believes itself to be ideally located at the centre of the East China Sea to facilitate cargo services as trade grows between the two Asian giants. “We will begin by introducing a new route that will transship cargo at NICT from the eastern ports of China and the southern ports of Japan,” said Edgardo Q. Abesamis, ICTSI executive vice-president and president of NICTI (Naha International Container Terminal Inc).

The company plans to establish a China-Naha-Kyushu service that will connect eastern Chinese ports such as Xiamen, Fuzhou and Wenzhou with Naha. Ships carrying imports bound for Japan will transship containers at NICT, and may also load Japanese cargo bound for China. From Naha, there will be two-way connections to southern Japanese ports such as Fukuoka, Kagoshima and the Kitakyushu cluster.

Several Chinese lines have already expressed interest in the proposed route, and plans are under way to set competitive tariffs. Naha Port intends to build a logistics centre, and the Japanese government supports plans for NICT to become a major port of call. Currently, NICT covers an area of 21 hectares, with two berthing positions on a 600 m wharf and two new terminal cranes.