The beginnings of the Koper container terminal go back to 1979, when a 150-metre dock with a single crane was built. By 1980, the terminal transshipped 37,831 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU).

Transshipment has been on the increase throughout, with the exception of the early 1990s, when Slovenia became independent and the Balkans were caught up in war.

After 2000, the rapidly growing trend in cargo transport brought about a surge in turnover in all global ports.

On the back of this trend, transshipment in Koper rose to 93,187 TEUs in 2001. The figure will near 600,000 at the end of this year, the company said in a written statement on Tuesday.

All major container shippers stop at Koper. Since June 2009, the port is linked directly to the South East Asia on two routes operated by six shippers.

It is these two links that contributed decisively to the surge in container goods transshipped by the Slovenian port.

Luka Koper expects the trend of growth to continue next year, albeit on a lower scale, mainly as a result of cautious forecasts of global economic growth.

The company continues to invest in the expansion of capacities and optimisation of terminal operations. A major mid-term project will be the deepening of the harbour and sailing channels to enable the landing of even bigger container ships.