Trans-Pacific Trade Could Increase Capacity Of Indonesian Ports

Jakarta, Oct 1 (Antara) - Trans-Pacific trade in the Asia-Pacific region can increase the capacity of Indonesia ports, said Ronald Apriliyanto Halim, a researcher at Delft University of Technology`s Transportation and Logistics. "Based on the current international trade development, Indonesia has the potential to be active in global maritime network as a transhipment port, which would enhance its national income," said Halim on Tuesday. The international trans-Pacific trade is connected between China-Europe, China-US, China-Australia, China-African countries, and China-ASEAN countries. "Currently, I have been developing a global cargo transportation model that uses the international trade data and its development patterns," said Halim. This model was initiated by Halim, along with his colleagues, and could be used to predict the flow of strategic commodities such as oil and iron ore in the next few decades. It has been tested at Rotterdam Port, Netherlands. Based on international trade patterns, Halim said Indonesia could gain some benefit by referring to China`s trade domination scenario when its cargo flow to European and African countries reached three percent per year. The increase in China`s trade would also boost the activity in Southeast Asia`s ports, particularly Singapore`s port, which has become the biggest port in the world. Halim predicts that Singapore will be burdened by the capacity demands as its port area is narrow. "In this case, looking at the distance between Singapore and Indonesia, Indonesia has a huge potential to develop and massively activate its ports in Sumatra and Batam islands by absorbing the excess capacity demand at Singapore`s port," he explained. Meanwhile, trade between China and Australia on the mining sector and consumption goods is also predicted to grow in the next few decades. "As the result, ports in eastern Indonesia, Sorong, for example, would be a strategic transhipment port. We should consider the productive mining activities in Papua too," he said. That development, Halim added, would also impact the ports on Java islands, Tanjung Priok in Jakarta and Tanjung Perak in Surabaya (East Java), with an increase in the volume of trade between China and ASEAN countries.