WASHINGTON: The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) today (December 7) released statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the third quarter of 2015.
In the third quarter of 2015, total port cargo throughput decreased by 16.5% compared with a year earlier to 63.8 million tonnes. Within this total, inward and outward port cargo decreased by 21.5% and 8.4% to 36.9 million tonnes and 26.9 million tonnes respectively.
For the first 9 months of 2015, total port cargo throughput decreased by 9.9% compared with a year earlier to 200.6 million tonnes. Within this total, inward and outward port cargo decreased by 13.8% and 3.5% to 119.4 million tonnes and 81.2 million tonnes respectively.
On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput decreased by 6.3% in the third quarter of 2015.
Within this total, inward and outward port cargo decreased by 6.7% and 5.7% respectively. The seasonally adjusted series enables more meaningful shorter-term comparison to be made for discerning possible variations in trends.
Within port cargo, seaborne and river cargo decreased by 16.0% and 17.3% in the third quarter of 2015 compared with a year earlier to 41.2 million tonnes and 22.6 million tonnes respectively.
Within inward port cargo, imports and inward transhipment decreased by 30.0% and 9.0% in the third quarter of 2015 compared with a year earlier to 19.6 million tonnes and 17.3 million tonnes respectively. For outward port cargo, exports (including domestic exports and re-exports) increased by 0.4% compared with a year earlier to 10.5 million tonnes, while outward transhipment decreased by 13.3% to 16.3 million tonnes.
Within port cargo, seaborne and river cargo decreased by 12.0% and 5.6% in the first 9 months of 2015 compared with a year earlier to 131.6 million tonnes and 69.0 million tonnes respectively.
Within inward port cargo, imports and inward transhipment decreased by 14.4% and 13.0% in the first 9 months of 2015 compared with a year earlier to 67.6 million tonnes and 51.7 million tonnes respectively.
For outward port cargo, exports increased by 17.4% compared with a year earlier to 31.1 million tonnes, while outward transhipment decreased by 13.1% to 50.1 million tonnes. The detailed port cargo statistics are summarised in Table 1.
The main countries/territories of loading of inward port cargo and countries/territories of discharge of outward port cargo are shown in Table 2 and Table 3 respectively.
Comparing the third quarter of 2015 with the third quarter of 2014, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Korea (+13.9%) and Singapore (+11.0%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in the mainland of China (-36.1%), Vietnam (-21.8%), Indonesia (-21.5%), the United States of America (-15.9%), Taiwan (-14.0%) and Malaysia (-11.2%). For outward port cargo, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Taiwan (-40.1%), Thailand (-27.7%), Singapore (-26.3%), the United States of America (-16.5%), the Philippines (-15.3%) and Malaysia (-12.1%).
Comparing the first 9 months of 2015 with the same period in 2014, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Singapore (+19.6%) and Korea (+14.9%).
On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Vietnam (-23.1%), the mainland of China (-21.0%), Indonesia (-20.7%) and Malaysia (-18.8%). For outward port cargo, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Taiwan (-33.1%), Singapore (-22.4%), Malaysia (-16.5%), the United States of America (-15.3%), Thailand (-14.5%), Korea (-13.8%) and Japan (-13.5%).
The principal commodities of inward and outward port cargo are shown in Table 4 and Table 5 respectively.
Comparing the third quarter of 2015 with the third quarter of 2014, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of “petroleum, petroleum products and related materials; and coal, coke and briquettes” (+11.4%), “bricks, ceramic tile and refractory construction materials” (-12.6%) as well as “stone, sand and gravel; metalliferous ores and metal scrap; and pulp and waste paper” (-55.4%). As for outward port cargo, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of “machinery” (-10.2%) and “iron and steel” (-26.4%).
Comparing the first 9 months of 2015 with the same period in 2014, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of “petroleum, petroleum products and related materials; and coal, coke and briquettes” (+11.2%), “iron and steel” (-11.3%), “bricks, ceramic tile and refractory construction materials” (-14.8%) as well as “stone, sand and gravel; metalliferous ores and metal scrap; and pulp and waste paper” (-32.0%).
As for outward port cargo, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of “stone, sand and gravel; metalliferous ores and metal scrap; and pulp and waste paper” (+22.4%), “logs and timber; wood, simply worked” (-12.8%) and “iron and steel” (-17.9%).
In the third quarter of 2015, the port of Hong Kong handled 5.2 million TEUs of containers, representing a decrease of 8.3% compared with a year earlier. Within this total, laden and empty containers decreased by 8.6% and 7.0% to 4.4 million TEUs and 0.7 million TEUs respectively. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers dropped by 5.8% and 11.3% to 2.3 million TEUs and 2.2 million TEUs respectively.
In the first 9 months of 2015, the port of Hong Kong handled 15.4 million TEUs of containers, representing a decrease of 8.5% compared with the same period in 2014.Within this total, laden and empty containers decreased by 9.1% and 5.1% to 13.2 million TEUs and 2.3 million TEUs respectively.
Among laden containers, inward and outward containers dropped by 8.1% and 10.1% to 6.7 million TEUs and 6.5 million TEUs respectively.
On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, laden container throughput decreased by 3.1% in the third quarter of 2015. Within this total, inward and outward laden containers decreased by 2.4% and 3.9% respectively.
Seaborne and river laden containers decreased by 8.7% and 8.1% to 3.2 million TEUs and 1.2 million TEUs respectively.
Within inward laden containers, imports and inward transhipment decreased by 3.5% and 6.8% in the third quarter of 2015 compared with a year earlier to 0.7 million TEUs and 1.5 million TEUs respectively. For outward laden containers, exports and outward transhipment decreased by 12.2% and 10.8% to 0.7 million TEUs and 1.5 million TEUs respectively.
In the first 9 months of 2015, seaborne and river laden containers decreased by 10.8% and 4.2% compared with the same period in 2014 to 9.5 million TEUs and 3.6 million TEUs respectively.
Within inward laden containers, imports increased by 0.4% to 2.1 million TEUs in the first 9 months of 2015 compared with a year earlier, while inward transhipment decreased by 11.6% to 4.5 million TEUs.
Comparing the third quarter of 2015 with the third quarter of 2014, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased by 4.0% to 7 130, with the total capacity increasing by 6.3% to 103.4 million net registered tons. The number of river vessel arrivals decreased by 1.3% to 40 330, with the total capacity also decreasing by 7.3% to 26.1 million net registered tons.
Comparing the first 9 months of 2015 with the same period in 2014, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased by 2.2% to 21 990, with the total capacity increasing by 3.0% to 310.8 million net registered tons. The number of river vessel arrivals increased by 1.3% to 119 900, with the total capacity decreasing by 5.1% to 78.3 million net registered tons.
Vessel statistics are compiled by the Marine Department primarily from general declarations submitted by ship masters and authorised shipping agents.
