THE Port of Felixstowe has been named as the “Best Container Terminal in Europe” at the 27th annual Asian Freight & Supply Chain Awards (known in the inidustry as the AFSCAs).

The award, which was presented during a ceremony held in Beijing, recognises the high quality of service and levels of productivity achieved at the UK’s largest container port.

Clemence Cheng, the chief executive of Hutchison Ports (UK), which includes of the Port of Felixstowe, said: “We are very pleased to receive this award in recognition of our achievements.

“This would not have been possible without the strong support of our customers and the relentless pursuit of operational excellence and customer service by our workforce. Whilst this award recognises our achievements to date, we will continue to improve on the level of customer service that has made Port of Felixstowe the Port of Britain.

“With our excellent location and a range of inland transport options by road, rail and short-sea shipping, that cannot be matched, we continue to offer importers and exporters the quickest, cheapest and most efficient way of moving cargo into, and out of, the UK.”

Greg Knowler, spokesman for the awards, which are organised by logistics publication Cargonews Asia, said: “More than 70% of our readers are shippers and forwarders so in effect, the Port of Felixstowe was voted Best Container Terminal in Europe by its own customers.

“To be honoured by the very people who pay for its services is evidence that, even in difficult economic conditions in a highly competitive sector, the Port of Felixstowe continues to provide the kind of quality Asia’s shippers have come to expect.”