Activity at the port of Tripoli in 2010 rose by 29 percent. The surge was due to the modernization program that the port went through, and also to transit contracts the port authority won from Jordan and Saudi Arabia, said Ahmad Tamer, the port’s director.

The port’s statistics show that more than 1.3 million tons of goods passed through the port, last year compared with 1.02 million tons in 2009. The number of ships that docked at the harbor rose by ten percent to 516, while revenues increased by 29 percent to some $100 million.

Tamer said that there were many factors that contributed to the increase in operations at the port. Most significant was the improvements that were introduced to the quality of service, he said. “Logistics were considerably improved, we utilized the areas that are close to the eight docks more efficiently, speeded up administrative procedures and greatly reduced red tape among the various government departments,” he said.  

“This considerably reduced the turnaround time needed by ships to unload and load,” he said.  

Imports through Tripoli port include cars, timber, iron coal and grain. Exports include marble and iron, he said.

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