Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) today said it handled 1.6 million twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) from January to June 2003, up 37 percent from the same period of 2002.

PTP, which is in Johor just across the narrow Tebrau Strait from Singapore, attributed the strong growth to its success in attracting Taiwan's Evergreen Marine to shift its regional hub from Singapore to PTP.

It said there was also growth in the port's existing customers in terms of volume, vessel service calls and local cargo.