In the second quarter of 2005, total port cargo throughput grew 5% over a year earlier to 58.3 million tonnes, the Census & Statistics Department says.

Within this total, inward port cargo grew 3% to 35.7 million tonnes, and outward port cargo grew 9% to 22.6 million tonnes.

Total port cargo throughput grew 1% to 111.9 million tonnes. Within this, both inward and outward port cargo grew 1% to 69.2 million tonnes and 42.7 million tonnes.

On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput grew 4% in the second quarter. Within this, inward port cargo and outward port cargo grew 2% and 8%.

Comparing the quarter with the same period in 2004, double-digit growth was recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Indonesia (+37%), Singapore (+31%) and the Mainland (+13%).

But double-digit falls were seen in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Australia (-53%), Malaysia (-35%) and South Korea (-26%).

Containers up 3%

In the second quarter, the port of Hong Kong handled 5.6 million TEUs of containers, up 3% over a year earlier.  Within this total, laden containers grew 5% to 4.6 million TEUs, while empty containers fell 3% to 1 million TEUs.

Among laden containers, inward and outward containers grew 5% and 4% in the second quarter over a year earlier to 2.2 million TEUs and 2.3 million TEUs.

The number of ocean vessel arrivals grew 12% over a year earlier to 9,840, with total capacity up 6% to 81.3 million net registered tonnes. The number of river vessel arrivals grew 1% to 47,890, with total capacity up 8% to 25 million net registered tonnes.