Jubail Commercial Port achieved a 100 percent increase in total goods handled, reaching 1.583 million tons during the first quarter of 2012, compared to 791,000 tons in the same period last year. The exports and imports of loose goods reached 419,500 tons in the first quarter of 2012 compared to 62,800 tons during the same period in 2011, an increase of 568 percent, said Fahd Al-Amer, Director General of Jubail Commercial Port. Exports and imports of general goods increased 70 percent at 419,300 tons, compared to 246,300 tons in the period under review. The number of standard containers rose 40 percent at 57,600 from 41,100. In addition, the ships that berthed at Jubail Commercial Port increased 35 percent at 142 compared from 105. Al-Amer expects the increase to continue during the current year due to efforts exerted by the port's administration and the companies that have signed commercial contracts, besides marketing, to attract more private sector companies and establishments and encourage them to import and export via the port. The Director General of Jubail Commercial Port had confirmed earlier the continuous increase in the number of standard containers handled until the end of the current year, as the port's management is exerting efforts to encourage importers, exporters and shipping lines to use the port in order to achieve the maximum benefit from the operation capacity. The port had earlier received giant container ships from the biggest shipping lines in the world. It had received the container ship CMA CGM Annapurna owned by the third biggest shipping line for transporting containers in the world, the CMA CGM, which will operate regular weekly trips to Jubail Commercial Port. __
