Gentle growth wave: In the second quarter, total port cargo throughput increased by 4% over a year earlier, to 51.2 million tonnes.

In the second quarter, the port of Hong Kong handled 5.1 million TEUs (20-foot-equivalent units) of containers - an increase of 7% over a year earlier. 

Full containers rose 6%, to 4.1 million TEUs, while empty containers rose by 9% to 1 million TEUs.

In the same period, cargo-carrying inward containers rose by 8% to 1.9 million TEUs while outward-bound ones rose by 6% over a year earlier to 2.2 million TEUs.

On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, both inward and outward cargo-carrying container throughput fell 2% in the second quarter.

Seaborne containers carrying cargo rose 5% over a year earlier to 3.1 million TEUs in the second quarter, while cargo-carrying river containers surged by 13% to 1 million TEUs.

Cargo-carrying containers bound for Hong Kong saw a 2% drop in imports from a year earlier, to 0.9 million TEUs in the second quarter. Inward transhipment soared 18% to 1 million TEUs.

Cargo-carrying containers leaving Hong Kong saw a 4% drop in exports, to 1.1 million TEUs. Outward transhipment rose by 16% to 1.1 million TEUs.

In the second quarter, total port cargo throughput increased by 4% over a year earlier to 51.2 million tonnes. Within this total, inward and outward port cargo were up by 2% and 8% to 31.6 million tonnes and 19.6 million tonnes, respectively.

Compared with the first quarter of 2003 on a seasonally adjusted basis, total port cargo throughput fell 6% in the second quarter of 2003. Inward and outward port cargo also fell, by 9% and 1%, respectively. 

Seaborne and river cargo rose by 4% over a year earlier to 36.7 million tonnes and 14.5 million tonnes, respectively, in the second quarter.

Within inward port cargo, imports decreased by 4% over a year earlier to 20.5 million tonnes in the second quarter, while inward transhipment surged by 14% to 11 million tonnes. 

For outward port cargo, exports (including domestic exports and re-exports) decreased by 2% over a year earlier to 8 million tonnes, while outward transhipment soared by 15% to 11.6 million tonnes.

In the second quarter of 2003, the number of ocean vessel arrivals fell 4% over a year earlier to 8,700, with the total capacity decreasing by 2%, to 73.6 million net registered tonnes. 

River vessel arrivals decreased by 6% in number to 43,610 but increased by 9% in capacity to 20.8 million net registered tonnes over the same period.