Closure of Port of Kobe Will Disrupt Shipping Worldwide
The Port of Kobe, seriously damaged in Tuesday’s earthquake, is a key site in global shipping. Its closure, likely to last more than six months, will disrupt shipping worldwide.
* Kobe is one of the 10 busiest container cargo ports in the world, handling 170 million tons of cargo--2.7 million containers--a year. The only busier container ports than the Kobe/Osaka combination are Singapore, Hong Kong, Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Los Angeles/Long Beach, Rotterdam and Tokyo/Yokohama.
* More than 10% of Japan’s ocean freight comes through Kobe, at the center of one of Japan’s industrial heartlands. The region hit by the quake accounts for 20% of Japan’s national output.
* Kobe is a major shipping partner for both the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach. Kobe receives fruit, beef and pork from Southern California and ships back a significant amount of electronics and home appliances. Kobe is Los Angeles’ third-biggest trading partner, responsible for 4% of imports and exports. It is No. 5 on the trading list for Long Beach, making up about 6% of its business.
* About 85% of Kobe’s cargo is in containers that can be diverted to other ports, which economists say will lessen the impact on Japan’s overall economy.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.