The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released the statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the Q2 of 2018. In the Q2 2018, total port cargo throughput decreased by 5.2% compared with a year earlier to 66.1 million tonnes. Within this total, inward port cargo and outward port cargo decreased by 5.1% and 5.3% compared with a year earlier to 41.6 million tonnes and 24.5 million tonnes respectively. For the H1 2018, total port cargo throughput decreased by 3.0% compared with a year earlier to 131.8 million tonnes. Within this total, inward port cargo and outward port cargo decreased by 1.9% and 4.8% compared with a year earlier to 82.2 million tonnes and 49.6 million tonnes respectively. On a seasonally adjusted QoQ comparison, total port cargo throughput decreased by 5.9% in the Q2 of 2018.
Within this total, inward port cargo and outward port cargo decreased by 4.4% and 8.2% respectively compared with the preceding quarter. The seasonally adjusted series enables more meaningful shorter-term comparison to be made for discerning possible variations in trends.
Port cargo
Within port cargo, seaborne cargo decreased by 8.8% in the Q2 of 2018 compared with a year earlier to 42.2 million tonnes, while river cargo increased by 2.0% to 23.9 million tonnes.
Within inward port cargo, imports and inward transhipment decreased by 2.1% and 8.9% in the Q2 of 2018 compared with a year earlier to 23.9 million tonnes and 17.7 million tonnes respectively. For outward port cargo, exports (including domestic exports and re-exports) increased by 2.3% compared with a year earlier to 8.3 million tonnes, while outward transhipment decreased by 8.8% to 16.2 million tonnes.
Within port cargo, seaborne cargo decreased by 6.9% in the H1 of 2018 compared with a year earlier to 82.9 million tonnes, while river cargo increased by 4.3% to 48.9 million tonnes.
Within inward port cargo, imports increased by 1.9% in the H1 of 2018 compared with a year earlier to 47.9 million tonnes, while inward transhipment decreased by 6.7% to 34.3 million tonnes.
For outward port cargo, exports and outward transhipment decreased by 4.9% and 4.7% compared with a year earlier to 17.2 million tonnes and 32.4 million tonnes respectively.
Comparing the Q2 of 2018 with the Q2 of 2017, double-digit increase was recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Malaysia (+11.4%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Singapore (-22.0%) and Japan (-18.3%). For outward port cargo, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Macao (-40.9%), Thailand (-21.8%), Korea (-20.5%), Taiwan (-19.9%), Malaysia (-18.9%) and Japan (-10.6%).
Comparing the H1 of 2018 with the H1 of 2017, double-digit increase was recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Malaysia (+20.8%).
On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Singapore (-22.7%) and Japan (-15.9%). For outward port cargo, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Macao (-57.8%), Thailand (-16.5%) and Korea (-16.0%).
The principal commodities of inward port cargo and outward port cargo are shown in Table 4 and Table 5 respectively.
Comparing the Q2 of 2018 with the Q2 of 2017, double-digit increase was recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of “coal, coke and briquettes” (+19.0%). As for outward port cargo, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of “stone, sand and gravel” (+20.0%) and “metalliferous ores and metal scrap” (-27.3%).
Comparing the H1 of 2018 with the H1 of 2017, double-digit decrease was recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of “artificial resins and plastic materials” (-14.5%).
As for outward port cargo, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of “logs and timber; wood, simply worked” (+15.3%) and “metalliferous ores and metal scrap” (-20.0%).
Containers
In the Q2 of 2018, the port of Hong Kong handled 4.98 million TEUs of containers, representing a decrease of 7.3% compared with a year earlier. Within this total, laden and empty containers decreased by 7.9% and 3.8% to 4.22 million TEUs and 0.76 million TEUs respectively. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers decreased by 7.3% and 8.6% to 2.22 million TEUs and 2.00 million TEUs respectively.
For the H1 of 2018, the port of Hong Kong handled 9.87 million TEUs of containers, representing a decrease of 3.7% compared with a year earlier.
Within this total, laden containers decreased by 5.1% to 8.36 million TEUs, while empty containers increased by 4.4% to 1.50 million TEUs. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers decreased by 4.9% and 5.3% to 4.35 million TEUs and 4.02 million TEUs respectively.
On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, laden container throughput decreased by 7.5% in the Q2 of 2018. Within this total, inward and outward laden containers decreased by 7.3% and 7.8% respectively.
In the Q2 of 2018, seaborne laden containers decreased by 11.1% compared with a year earlier to 3.01 million TEUs, while river laden containers increased by 1.3% to 1.21 million TEUs.
Within inward laden containers, imports and inward transhipment decreased by 7.7% and 7.1% in the Q2 of 2018 compared with a year earlier to 0.66 million TEUs and 1.56 million TEUs respectively.
For outward laden containers, exports and outward transhipment decreased by 8.8% and 8.5% to 0.56 million TEUs and 1.45 million TEUs respectively.
In the H1 of 2018, seaborne laden containers decreased by 8.5% compared with a year earlier to 5.93 million TEUs, while river laden containers increased by 4.5% to 2.43 million TEUs.
Within inward laden containers, imports and inward transhipment decreased by 5.4% and 4.7% in the H1 of 2018 compared with a year earlier to 1.29 million TEUs and 3.05 million TEUs respectively. For outward laden containers, exports and outward transhipment decreased by 6.1% and 4.9% to 1.11 million TEUs and 2.91 million TEUs respectively.
The detailed container statistics are summarised in Table 6.
Port cargo and laden container statistics are compiled from a sample of consignments listed in the cargo manifests supplied by shipping companies and agents to the C&SD.
Vessel arrivals
Comparing the Q2 of 2018 with the Q2 of 2017, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased by 4.6% to 6 495, with the total capacity also decreasing by 5.1% to 102.1 million net registered tons. Meanwhile, the number of river vessel arrivals decreased by 5.2% to 38 056, with the total capacity also decreasing by 11.4% to 27.1 million net registered tons.
Comparing the H1 of 2018 with the H1 of 2017, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased by 5.0% to 12 756, with the total capacity also decreasing by 4.8% to 201.1 million net registered tons.
Meanwhile, the number of river vessel arrivals decreased by 3.7% to 76 016, with the total capacity also decreasing by 7.5% to 55.7 million net registered tons.
