The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) today (June 4) released the statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the first quarter of 2019.
In the first quarter of 2019, total port cargo throughput decreased by 10.1% compared with the first quarter of 2018 to 59.1 million tonnes. Within this total, inward port cargo and outward port cargo decreased by 8.9% and 12.0% compared with the first quarter of 2018 to 37.0 million tonnes and 22.1 million tonnes respectively.
On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput decreased by 0.9% in the first quarter of 2019. Within this total, inward port cargo increased by 0.2% compared with the preceding quarter, while outward port cargo decreased by 2.9% 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 and river cargo decreased by 8.1% and 13.4% in the first quarter of 2019 compared with the first quarter of 2018 to 37.4 million tonnes and 21.7 million tonnes respectively.
Within inward port cargo, both imports and inward transhipment decreased by 8.9% in the first quarter of 2019 compared with the first quarter of 2018 to 21.8 million tonnes and 15.2 million tonnes respectively. For outward port cargo, exports (including domestic exports and re-exports) and outward transhipment decreased by 19.5% and 7.9% compared with the first quarter of 2018 to 7.1 million tonnes and 15.0 million tonnes respectively.
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 first quarter of 2019 with the first quarter of 2018, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Indonesia (-34.7%), Japan (-26.6%), the United States of America (-17.0%), Taiwan (-15.0%) and Korea (-11.7%). For outward port cargo, double-digit increase was recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in the Philippines (+14.4%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Taiwan (-29.8%), Singapore (-23.8%), Vietnam (-15.1%), Thailand (-14.4%), the mainland of China (-14.0%) and Japan (-13.6%).
The principal commodities of inward port cargo and outward port cargo are shown in Table 4 and Table 5 respectively.
Comparing the first quarter of 2019 with the first quarter of 2018, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of "coal, coke and briquettes" (-37.6%) and "live animals chiefly for food and edible animal products" (-10.4%). As for outward port cargo, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of "stone, sand and gravel" (-27.8%), "logs and timber; wood, simply worked" (-27.3%), "pulp and waste paper" (-23.9%), "metalliferous ores and metal scrap" (-12.6%) and "machinery" (-11.7%).
Containers
In the first quarter of 2019, the port of Hong Kong handled 4.42 million TEUs of containers, representing a decrease of 9.5% compared with the first quarter of 2018. Within this total, laden and empty containers decreased by 9.1% and 11.4% to 3.76 million TEUs and 0.66 million TEUs respectively. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers decreased by 8.4% and 10.0% to 1.95 million TEUs and 1.82 million TEUs respectively.
On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, laden container throughput decreased by 2.0% in the first quarter of 2019. Within this total, inward and outward laden containers decreased by 0.6% and 3.5% respectively.
In the first quarter of 2019, seaborne and river laden containers decreased by 9.1% and 9.2% compared with the first quarter of 2018 to 2.65 million TEUs and 1.11 million TEUs respectively.
Within inward laden containers, imports and inward transhipment decreased by 7.4% and 8.8% in the first quarter of 2019 compared with the first quarter of 2018 to 0.59 million TEUs and 1.36 million TEUs respectively. For outward laden containers, exports and outward transhipment decreased by 14.6% and 8.2% to 0.47 million TEUs and 1.34 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 first quarter of 2019 with the first quarter of 2018, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased by 3.6% to 6 037, with the total capacity also decreasing by 3.3% to 95.8 million net tons. Meanwhile, the number of river vessel arrivals decreased by 9.3% to 34 417, with the total capacity also decreasing by 3.9% to 27.4 million net tons.
The statistics on vessel arrivals in Hong Kong are given in Table 7.
Vessel statistics are compiled by the Marine Department primarily from general declarations submitted by ship masters and authorised shipping agents. Pleasure vessels and fishing vessels plying exclusively within the river trade limits are excluded.
Further information
More detailed statistics on port cargo, containers and vessels are published in the report "Hong Kong Shipping Statistics, First Quarter 2019". Users can download this publication free of charge at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp130.jsp?productCode=B1020008).
For enquiries about port cargo and container statistics, please contact the Outward Processing and Shipping Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 2126 or email: shipping@censtatd.gov.hk). For enquiries about vessel statistics, readers may contact the Statistics Section under the Planning, Development and Port Security Branch of the Marine Department (Tel: 2852 3661 or email: st-sec@mardep.gov.hk).
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