Total port cargo throughput grew 7% in the third quarter over a year earlier to 59 million tonnes, the Census & Statistics Department says.

Within this total, inward port cargo rose 7% to 35.8 million tonnes, and outward port cargo grew 8% to 23.2 million tonnes.

On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput rose 2% in the third quarter. Within this total, inward port cargo and outward port cargo grew 3% and 2%.

Comparing the quarter with the same period in 2004, double-digit growth was recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Malaysia (+31%), Singapore (+25%), the US (+18%) and the Mainland (+11%). But a double-digit fall was recorded for South Korea (-20%).

Double-digit growth

Double-digit increases were registered in the tonnage of outward port cargo for discharge in Macau (+93%), Vietnam (+83%), Taiwan (+36%), Japan (+24%), the Mainland (+16%), the Philippines (+14%) and Thailand (+12%). A double-digit fall was recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in the US (-11%).

In the third quarter, the port of Hong Kong handled 6 million TEUs of containers, up 4% over a year earlier. Within this total, laden containers grew 6% to 4.9 million TEUs, while empty containers fell 3% to 1.1 million TEUs.

Among laden containers, inward and outward containers grew 7% and 4% to 2.3 million TEUs and 2.5 million TEUs.