Total port cargo throughput down 3.5% YoY in Q3

Both inward and outward port cargo declined.

Total port cargo throughput in Hong Kong decreased to 43.7 million tonnes in Q3 2024, 3.5% year-on-year (YoY) lower than in Q3 2023, according to the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD).

Within this total, inward port cargo declined 0.5% YoY to 27.7 million tonnes, whilst outward port cargo fell by 2.5% to 16 million tonnes.

In the first nine months of 2024, total port cargo throughput logged a 1% YoY rise to 132.3 million tonnes compared to the same period in 2023.

Inward port cargo and outward port cargo increased by 0.5% YoY and 2% YoY to 83.8 million tonnes and 48.5 million tonnes, respectively, in the 9M 2024 period.

Seaborne cargo fell 6.8% YoY to 27.3 million tonnes in Q3, whilst river cargo rose 2.7% YoY to 16.4 million tonnes.

For the 9M 2024 period, seaborne cargo was down 4.8% to 82.6 million tonnes, whilst river cargo was up 12.4% YoY to 49.7 million tonnes.

Tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Korea (56.6%) and Singapore (22.2%) logged double digit increases in Q3.

In contrast, the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Indonesia (-44.1%), Thailand (-32.3%), the USA (-29%), Malaysia (-23.6%), Vietnam (-20.9%), Japan (-17.4%), and Taiwan (-11.4%) logged double-digit declines over the same period.

For outward port cargo, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Taiwan (22.7%) and Vietnam (17.5%) in Q3.

Decreases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in the Philippines (-40.5%), Malaysia (-33.8%), Japan (-25.9%) and Thailand (-12.2%).
     
Petroleum products rise
Double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of petroleum, petroleum products and related materials logged the highest increase in terms of the tonnage of inward port cargo, with a 20.6% rise.

Increases were also recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of metalliferous ores and metal scrap (16.9%).

Meanwhile, the inward cargo of artificial resins and plastic materials (-17.0%) and coal, coke and briquettes (-33.8%) decreased.

As for outward port cargo, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of stone, sand and gravel (37.2%), metalliferous ores and metal scrap (15.6%), live animals chiefly for food and edible animal products (-16.1%) and artificial resins and plastic materials (-17.3%), according to C&SD.