16th APEC TPT-WG
8-12 November 1999
Hong Kong, China

Progress Report
for
Port Experts Group
Final
Japan

BACKGROUND

1. The Group has 6 themes to work in order to improve the capacity and efficiency of the ports in APEC region. 6 themes and Theme Coordinators are as follows;

Theme 1: Port Data Base (Chile),
Theme 2: Regional Port Development Strategy (People’s Republic of China),
Theme 3: Port Administration, Management and Operation (Thailand),
Theme 4: Environmental Consideration (United States of America),
Theme 5: Technical Standards and Technology Development (Chinese Taipei), and
Theme 6: Natural Disasters and Damage Prevention Measures (Japan).

2. The 7th Group meeting was held at 8:30-18:00 on 9 November 1999 in Hong Kong, China with the participation of port experts from 15 economies as follows; Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, People’ s Republic of China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Republic of the Philippines, Russian Federation, Republic of Singapore, Thailand, and United States of America. We welcomed a new participant from Peru. With the new participation of Peru, the Group counted 20 participating economies in total.

SUMMARY OF DISCUSSIONS AT HONG KONG, CHINA

1. Port Data Base (Theme 1: Theme Coordinator: Chile)

Decision made by BMC in July to afford APEC budget to relocate and upgrade APEC Port Database was reported by Chile and Japan. They explained implementation schedule and program for relocation and upgrading to the PEG based on TPTWG16/PEG/1/1-2. It was agreed to relocate Port Database to Japan by the end of November. It was also reported and agreed that Chile will continue to be the Webmaster for the time being, while Japan will maintain the Database for its own finance.

2. Regional Port Development Strategy (Theme 2: Theme Coordinator: People’s Republic of China)
Port Administration, Management, and Operation (Theme 3: Theme Coordinator: Thailand)
Environmental Consideration (Theme 4: Theme Coordinator: United States of America)
Technical Standards and Technology Development (Theme 5: Theme Coordinator: Chinese Taipei)

China presented a draft final report on Impact of the Growth of the Size of the Container Vessels on Port Development as a first step for Regional Port Development Strategy based on TPTWG16/PEG/2/1. Thailand presented a draft final report on Privatization as a first step for Port Administration, Management and Operation based on TPTWG16/PEG/3/1. All the economies are requested to send comments on these reports by the end of this year so that Theme Coordinators can present a final report at the next Singapore meeting. USA presented a final report for Environmental Consideration based on the "Dredging Needs Survey of APEC Ports." Chinese Taipei presented a final report for Technical Standards and Technology Development (Terminal Layouts and Design Procedures of Container Terminal) based of TPTWG16/PEG/7/3 and TPT/WG/16/.

It was suggested by China and agreed by PEG to incorporate all the results of 6 themes into one single report based on which necessary joint action to take will be discussed and added to the report.

USA distributed a document "An Assessment of The U.S. Marine Transportation System" as a useful reference for the future work of the Group.

3. Natural Disasters and Damage Prevention Measures (Theme 6: Theme Coordinator: Japan)

Japan presented a discussion paper on Suggestions for Earthquake Disaster Countermeasures in APEC Ports as a first step for Natural Disasters and Damage Prevention Measures. Japan also explained additional questionnaire to be answered by the end of this year based on which Japan will present a draft final report at the Singapore meeting.

Taking into consideration that Japan will host TPT WG 18 in autumn 2000, APEC Seminar on Disaster Protection Measures for Earthquakes in Ports was reschedules to just before/after TPT WG 18 with a view to increasing the participation of APEC member economies. Japan explained the 1st announcement of this seminar.

4. Work Program Review

Australia presented proposal for future work program taking into consideration of the results of brainstorming session as well as priority area agreed on at Santiago. It proposed 5 new areas of work for incorporation for future work program of the Group; they are Port investment, Port and inter-modal interface, Port uptake of Electronic Commerce, Port performance benchmarking and measurement, and Sub-Committee for Customs Procedures. Australia will prepare the paper elaborating scope of work on Port uptake of Electronic Commerce and Pot performance benchmarking and measurement and present it at the next Singapore meeting for further discussion. Thailand indicated its possibility to prepare the paper for scope of work on Port and inter-modal interface and present it at the next Singapore meeting for further discussion. As for the Customs Procedures, it was agreed first to consult the CAP made by SCCP and make further discussion based on it. Other new areas can be proposed by the next Singapore meeting.

5. Others

USA gave information of the APEC Inter-modal Seminar held on 27-28 July 2000 in Seattle. Russia made a presentation on Russian ports.

This page was last updated on 1 Feb, 2008