The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) today (December 3) released the statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the third quarter of 2024.
      
     In the third quarter of 2024, total port cargo throughput decreased by 3.5% to 43.7 million tonnes over a year earlier. Within this total, inward port cargo and outward port cargo decreased by 4.0% and 2.5% to 27.7 million tonnes and 16.0 million tonnes respectively.
      
     For the first nine months of 2024, total port cargo throughput increased by 1.0% to 132.3 million tonnes over a year earlier. Within this total, inward port cargo and outward port cargo increased by 0.5% and 2.0% to 83.8 million tonnes and 48.5 million tonnes respectively.
      
     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput decreased by 6.1% in the third quarter of 2024. Within this total, inward port cargo and outward port cargo decreased by 4.4% and 8.9% 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
      
     In the third quarter of 2024, within port cargo, seaborne cargo decreased by 6.8% to 27.3 million tonnes over a year earlier, while river cargo increased by 2.7% to 16.4 million tonnes over a year earlier.
      
     In the first nine months of 2024, within port cargo, seaborne cargo decreased by 4.8% to 82.6 million tonnes over a year earlier, while river cargo increased by 12.4% to 49.7 million tonnes over a year earlier.
      
     Comparing the third quarter of 2024 with a year earlier, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Korea (+56.6%) and Singapore (+22.2%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Indonesia (-44.1%), Thailand (-32.3%), the United States of America (-29.0%), Malaysia (-23.6%), Vietnam (-20.9%), Japan (-17.4%) and Taiwan (-11.4%). 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%). On the other hand, double-digit 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%).
      
     Comparing the first nine months of 2024 with a year earlier, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Korea (+24.4%) and Singapore (+22.6%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in the United States of America (-26.2%), Indonesia (-21.0%), Malaysia (-20.0%), Vietnam (-18.4%), Japan (-16.6%) and Thailand (-14.3%). For outward port cargo, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Australia (+16.9%) and Vietnam (+13.2%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in the Philippines (-26.9%), Japan (-19.7%), Thailand (-15.6%), Malaysia (-13.6%), Korea (-13.2%) and the United States of America (-10.5%).
      
     Comparing the third quarter of 2024 with a year earlier, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of "petroleum, petroleum products and related materials" (+20.6%), "metalliferous ores and metal scrap" (+16.9%), "artificial resins and plastic materials" (-17.0%) and "coal, coke and briquettes" (-33.8%). 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%).
      
     Comparing the first nine months of 2024 with a year earlier, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of "petroleum, petroleum products and related materials" (+15.6%) and "stone, sand and gravel" (+13.5%). As for outward port cargo, triple-digit or double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of "stone, sand and gravel" (+134.4%) and "live animals chiefly for food and edible animal products" (-17.8%).
      
Containers
      
     In the third quarter of 2024, the port of Hong Kong handled 3.41 million TEUs of containers, representing a decrease of 7.0% over a year earlier. Within this total, laden and empty containers decreased by 5.2% and 13.9% to 2.75 million TEUs and 0.66 million TEUs respectively. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers decreased by 5.0% and 5.4% to 1.47 million TEUs and 1.27 million TEUs respectively.
      
     For the first nine months of 2024, the port of Hong Kong handled 10.18 million TEUs of containers, representing a decrease of 5.7% over a year earlier. Within this total, laden and empty containers decreased by 4.5% and 10.2% to 8.14 million TEUs and 2.03 million TEUs respectively. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers decreased by 4.4% and 4.6% to 4.37 million TEUs and 3.77 million TEUs respectively.
      
     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, laden container throughput decreased by 0.5% in the third quarter of 2024. Within this total, inward laden containers increased by 0.2%, while outward laden containers decreased by 1.3%.
      
     In the third quarter of 2024, seaborne laden containers decreased by 7.5% to 1.90 million TEUs over a year earlier, while river laden containers increased by 0.5% to 0.84 million TEUs.
      
     In the first nine months of 2024, seaborne and river laden containers decreased by 6.2% and 0.1% to 5.70 million TEUs and 2.44 million TEUs respectively over a year earlier.
      
Vessel arrivals
      
     Comparing the third quarter of 2024 with a year earlier, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased by 4.5% to 4 503, with the total capacity also decreasing by 6.9% to 71.2 million net tons. Meanwhile, the number of river vessel arrivals increased by 5.3% to 20 724, with the total capacity also increasing by 12.7% to 21.4 million net tons.
      
     Comparing the first nine months of 2024 with a year earlier, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased by 2.9% to 13 623, with the total capacity also decreasing by 3.9% to 215.5 million net tons. Meanwhile, the number of river vessel arrivals increased by 16.4% to 61 509, with the total capacity also increasing by 12.3% to 61.4 million net tons.
      
Further information
      
     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 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.
      
     Table 1 presents the detailed port cargo statistics.
      
     Table 2 and Table 3 respectively present the inward and outward port cargo statistics by main countries/territories of loading and discharge.
      
     Table 4 and Table 5 respectively present the inward and outward port cargo statistics by principal commodities.
      
     Table 6 presents the detailed container statistics.
      
     Table 7 presents the statistics on vessel arrivals in Hong Kong.
      
     More detailed statistics on port cargo, containers and vessels are published in the report "Hong Kong Shipping Statistics, Third Quarter 2024". Users can browse and download this publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020008&scode=230).
      
     For enquiries about port cargo and container statistics, please contact the Electronic Trading Services and Cargo 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 3662 or email: st-sec@mardep.gov.hk).

     A woman who went missing in Kwai Chung has been located.

     Yuen Chu, aged 63, went missing after she left her residence on Tai Loong Street in the small hours today (December 3).

     The woman was located on Castle Peak Road – Kwai Chung this afternoon. She sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.

     In response to the Japanese Government's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on December 2 to noon today (December 3), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 143 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the "aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt" category. No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS's thematic website titled "Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan" (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).

     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 50 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD's website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO's website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24, 2023, to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 103 333 samples of food imported from Japan (including 66 599 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 23 264 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 is 106.6 (up 0.1 against yesterday's index).

     The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, will lead a business delegation to depart for Urumqi, Xinjiang, tomorrow (December 4) to promote Hong Kong's business opportunities, and meet with government officials of Xinjiang and Kazakhstan to strengthen economic and trade co-operation among the three places, with a view to jointly exploring the full range of opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative.
 
     Members of the delegation include the Commissioner for Belt and Road, Mr Nicholas Ho, and representatives from major chambers of commerce and enterprises. They will attend a co-operation and exchange forum between China (Xinjiang, Hong Kong) and Kazakhstan on December 5 to promote Hong Kong's advantages, strengthen collaboration and foster economic and trade co-operation and cultural exchanges with Xinjiang and Kazakhstan.
 
     During the visit, Mr Yau will meet with representatives of Hong Kong enterprises in Xinjiang to learn about their business operations and the latest economic developments in the region.
 
　　Mr Yau will return to Hong Kong in the evening on December 6. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, will be the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development.