Last year, Samoa cleared 695 international sea vessels at the port of Apia which brought the highest level of inward and outward bound cargo since 2015.

The steep growth in inward and outward cargo in 2019, is reported by the Samoa Bureau of Statistics in its Annual Shipping report.

“Of the total number of international sea vessels accepted for tabulation was 268, which consisted of 159 container vessels, 85 general cargo vessels and 24 mineral oil tankers,” the report reads.

“255 vessels carried inward cargo. 203 vessels returned with outward cargo.

“There were 427 vessels excluded from the analysis as they did not have the required information. These vessels include Research/Naval, Yacht Cruise Ships and Fishing Vessels.”

The 255 vessels carrying cargo discharged a combined total of 389,027 metric tonnes.

Of that cargo, a total of some 52 per cent (203,633 metric tonnes) came from the Oceanic region (mostly from New Zealand); and 40 per cent (157,120 metric tonnes) from Asia (mostly from Singapore).

Meanwhile, 6.9 per cent (26,737 metric tonnes) came from America and 0.4 per cent (1,537 metric tonnes) came from Europe (mostly from Poland).

Of the 203 vessels loaded with cargo, a combined total of 75,292 metric tonnes of cargo of which 69.6 per cent (52,421 metric tonnes) was headed for the Oceanic region (mostly to New Zealand); 22.2 per cent (16,698 metric tonnes) was headed for Asia (mostly to Taiwan) and 8.2 per cent (6,173 metric tonnes) to America (mostly Hawaii). 

The new figures come a month after the Samoa Ports Authority (S.P.A.) revealed that it ended the previous financial year on a high note, wiping its debts and bringing in a record profit of $8.69 million.

The record net profit of $8.69 million for the year which was a result of corporate discipline and performance and newly developed wharf systems, the Chairman of the S.P.A., Tuiloma Neroni Slade said.

Meanwhile, cruise ships in 2018-2019 increased by 17 for the Financial Year of 2018-2019.

Although this has recently and drastically changed due to border closure measures undertaken to protect Samoa’s borders from the coronavirus.

These include the prohibition of boats and ships except those for trade and petroleum; and fishing boats for offloading and refuelling in a period approved by Cabinet, until further notice; and any others as decided by Cabinet for urgency and necessity.

Cruise ships have also been temporarily banned from entering Samoa until further notice.

Since the first two cancellations of cruise ships due to the measles epidemic, the Samoa Ports Authority has missed out on revenue from eight cruise ships. 

This is due to the collection of port charges, which were to be levied on the ships upon entry.