Sea Trading Activity in the Port of Belawan

Belawan ports is the largest port in East Sumatera. It replaced the port of Deli after it suffered from sedimentation. The port of Belawan developed through increased export and import trade. The Dutch colonial government was interested to build and develop the Port of Belawan to support the transportation and export of plantation products from inland areas of East Sumatra, especially tobacco. The development of trade and imports at the Port of Belawan went up and down. The higher the value and volume of exports and imports reached by the port, the higher the income earned. The high revenue achieved was an indicator of the development of the port. In contrast, the low volume and value of exports and imports led to the decline of the port. This study considers the development of sea trade activities in the Port of Belawan in the Dutch colonial era. This research starts with the year 1920 because in that year the Port of Belawan was turned into an ocean port. It ends in 1942 as this was the end of the reign of the Dutch East Indies in East Sumatra.