TRADE at Southampton Container Terminals continued to be a major cornerstone of the city's port, according to figures for the first quarter of the year.
P&O, which jointly owns SCT with Associated British Ports, said container volumes rose 28 per cent on a year earlier, as strength in the Asian region remained despite the SARS virus.
"The Iraq war also had little impact on the ports division,'' said a spokesman.
"Volumes in the UK market were around five per cent higher with container terminals at Southampton and Tilbury in Essex either maintaining or improving their share.''
Meanwhile one of Southampton's major customers, P&O Nedlloyd, reduced its first quarter losses to £36.3m from £42.6m a year earlier.
Volumes rose 11 per cent compared to the same period in 2002, but fuel costs were £20.7m higher.
Those costs have since fallen and P&O Nedlloyd said the outlook for the business appeared "increasingly positive".
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