Total port cargo throughput up 9.7% to 281.5m tonnes in 2017

Inward load from Mainland China, Malaysia and Singapore boosted year-end figures.

Total port cargo throughput rose 9.7% YoY to 281.5m tonnes in Q4, according to latest statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers released by the Census and Statistics Department.

Inward port cargo and outward port cargo increased by 15.8% YoY and 1.0% YoY to 174.6m tonnes and 107.0m tonnes respectively. Within port cargo, seaborne and river cargo grew 7.8% YoY and 13.0%YoY over the same period to 176.9m tonnes and 104.7m tonnes respectively.

Double-digit growth was recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo in the mainland of China (+19.9%), Malaysia (+19.2%) and Singapore (+12.7%).

For outward port cargo, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Taiwan (+24.4%), Korea (+23.6%) and Malaysia (+20.3%).

Stone, sand and gravel dominated the inward tonnage by 78.5% followed by logs and timber; wood (+29.7%).

As for outward port cargo, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of "pulp and waste paper" (+26.0%), metalliferous ores and metal scrap (+23.5%), logs and timber; wood, simply worked (+22.2%) and stone, sand and gravel (-14.7%).