Port of Tauranga has asked for the need to carry on port rationalization in New Zealand under the given economic scenario.

Chairman John Parker, at the annual general meeting, informed that decline in trading activities in the world has left a number of surplus container ships idle and the outlook for remaining year is not healthy as well.

John Parker said, "The move to newer and bigger ships was happening anyway but is accelerated by the surplus of tonnage and the obvious desire of ship-owners to idle their older, smaller and less efficient container ships."