Total port cargo throughput rose 10% to 55.3 million tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2003, over a year earlier. 

Inward port cargo rose 10% to 34.2 million tonnes, while outward port cargo rose 9% to 21 million tonnes.

On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput rose 8% in the fourth quarter. Inward port cargo rose 10%, while outward port cargo rose 5%.

For 2003 as a whole, total port cargo throughput rose 8% to 207.6 million tonnes. Inward and outward port cargo went up 7% and 9% to 128.6 million tonnes and 79.1 million tonnes respectively.

Within port cargo, seaborne and river cargo rose 7% and 9% to 148.6 million tonnes and 59 million tonnes respectively.

Comparing 2003 with 2002, a double-digit increase was recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Indonesia (+41%). Over the same period, significant increases were registered in the tonnage of outward port cargo for discharge in Italy (+21%) and Taiwan (+12%).

Container handling up 6%

In the fourth quarter, the port of Hong Kong handled 5.4 million TEUs of containers, representing a rise of 6% over a year earlier.

For 2003 as a whole, the port of Hong Kong handled 20.4 million TEUs of containers, representing a rise of 7% over 2002.

In the fourth quarter, the number of ocean vessel arrivals went up 6% on a year earlier to 9,320 with the total capacity increasing 12% to 78.4 million net registered tons.

In 2003, there were 35,790 ocean vessel arrivals and 182,270 river vessel arrivals, representing virtually no change from 2002.

The total capacity of ocean and river vessels rose 2% and 11% to 300.5 million net registered tons and 85.7 million net registered tons respectively.