Ports of Auckland Volumes Index Update

Friday, 18 March 2005

Ports of Auckland Volumes Index Update www.poal.co.nz Total container volumes* decreased 3% to 641,232 TEUs for the 12 months to end-February 2005 (as compared to the 12 months to end-February 2004) and were down 4% on February 2004.

Full import container volumes were unchanged and full export container volumes were down 3% for the 12 months to end-February 2005. For the month of February, full imports were up 1% and full exports dropped 4%.

Transhipment** volumes fell 17% for the 12 months to end-February 2005 (as compared to the 12 months to end-February 2004) and were down 29% on February 2005. Containers comprise approximately 70% of Ports of Auckland’s throughput and about 85% of business activity.

The drop in container volumes is due mainly to the loss of a shipping service in February 2004 that at the time represented 8% of Ports of Auckland’s container volume. Breakbulk (non-containerised) volumes were up 9% to 5 million tonnes for the 12 months to end-February 2005. February 2005 volumes increased 14% on February 2004. * Container volumes are measured in TEUs (20-foot equivalent units – or the size of a standard 20-foot container).

** Transhipment containers are discharged at Auckland and reshipped on another vessel to international or other New Zealand destinations. To access the Ports of Auckland Volumes Index: After entering our homepage www.poal.co.nz click on the Ports of Auckland Volumes Index link below the announcement and graph pics at the top of the homepage. Or, after entering our homepage click on the Investor Centre button on the left-hand menu. Scroll down the Investor Centre page

ENDS

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