Skikda port passes 200,000 containers for first time

The port's management credits the result to a reorganisation of work on its quays over several months. The aim is to handle larger volumes and reduce waiting times for ships.

Cement and clinker were also loaded at several quays at the same time, for Italy and Libya. The port has gradually become an exit point for national products, according to the report.

Container handling needs specific equipment, fast turnaround of machines and close coordination between port workers, customs officers and freight forwarders, according to the report.

The result follows instructions from Transport Minister Saïd Sayoud, who has made port productivity a priority. The aim is to raise the tonnage handled and make goods move faster through customs areas.

Béjaïa's teams also unloaded more than 15,000 tonnes of maize from one ship in 24 hours. Four teams worked in turn without a break, moving the grain directly from the holds to lorries.

The port's management thanked the staff on the quays, including crane operators, dockers, operations agents and administrative staff. They had to handle a heavier workload to meet the pace required.

According to the report, the record came from a revised work organisation, teams working one after another, and preventive maintenance of lifting equipment.

Delays cost shipowners, who charge for every hour a ship is held in port.

According to the report, a port able to handle this volume offers a possible alternative to the ports usually used. This could mean shorter delays and more predictable logistics costs for businesses in eastern Algeria.

According to the report, storage capacity, customs digitisation and a rail link are regular topics in talks between sector professionals.

The report also says Algerian ports want to win back part of Mediterranean traffic now sent to other ports.