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Statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for first quarter of 2017
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     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) today (June 6) released the statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the first quarter of 2017.

     In the first quarter of 2017, total port cargo throughput increased by 18.9% compared with a year earlier to 66.2 million tonnes. Within this total, inward and outward port cargo increased by 23.6% and 12.4% compared with a year earlier to 40.0 million tonnes and 26.2 million tonnes respectively.

     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput increased by 0.5% in the first quarter of 2017. Within this total, inward and outward port cargo increased by 0.2% and 1.1% 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

     Within port cargo, seaborne and river cargo increased by 21.0% and 15.3% in the first quarter of 2017 compared with a year earlier to 42.7 million tonnes and 23.5 million tonnes respectively.

     Within inward port cargo, imports and inward transhipment increased by 23.8% and 23.4% in the first quarter of 2017 compared with a year earlier to 22.6 million tonnes and 17.4 million tonnes respectively. For outward port cargo, exports (including domestic exports and re-exports) and outward transhipment increased by 7.8% and 15.3% compared with a year earlier to 9.9 million tonnes and 16.3 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 2017 with the first quarter of 2016, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Singapore (+40.4%), Thailand (+32.7%), Taiwan (+31.6%), Vietnam (+29.8%), Malaysia (+22.8%), the mainland of China (+18.6%) and Indonesia (+13.7%). For outward port cargo, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Macao (+76.3%), Korea (+43.9%), Taiwan (+34.6%), Vietnam (+23.1%), Japan (+13.5%) and the mainland of China (+11.7%).

     The principal commodities of inward and outward port cargo are shown in Table 4 and Table 5 respectively.

     Comparing the first quarter of 2017 with the first quarter of 2016, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of "stone, sand and gravel" (+51.6%), "artificial resins and plastic materials" (+36.3%), "coal, coke and briquettes" (+27.2%), "iron and steel" (+24.2%), "petroleum, petroleum products and related materials" (+16.0%) and "machinery" (+13.5%). As for outward port cargo, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of "pulp and waste paper" (+51.3%), "logs and timber; wood, simply worked" (+28.6%), "artificial resins and plastic materials" (+25.9%), "metalliferous ores and metal scrap" (+13.7%), "stone, sand and gravel" (+11.8%) and "machinery" (+10.0%).
 
Containers

     In the first quarter of 2017, the port of Hong Kong handled 4.88 million TEUs of containers, representing an increase of 12.8% compared with a year earlier. Within this total, laden containers increased by 15.4% to 4.22 million TEUs, while empty containers decreased by 1.7% to 0.65 million TEUs. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers increased by 17.2% and 13.6% to 2.17 million TEUs and 2.05 million TEUs respectively.

     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, laden container throughput decreased by 3.2% in the first quarter of 2017. Within this total, inward and outward laden containers decreased by 4.5% and 1.7% respectively.

     In the first quarter of 2017, seaborne and river laden containers increased by 19.7% and 5.2% compared with a year earlier to 3.09 million TEUs and 1.13 million TEUs respectively.

     Within inward laden containers, imports and inward transhipment increased by 11.9% and 19.6% in the first quarter of 2017 compared with a year earlier to 0.65 million TEUs and 1.52 million TEUs respectively. For outward laden containers, exports and outward transhipment increased by 8.6% and 15.8% to 0.57 million TEUs and 1.48 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 2017 with the first quarter of 2016, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased by 1.3% to 6 616, while the total capacity increased by 8.1% to 103.7 million net registered tons. The number of river vessel arrivals increased by 2.4% to 38 808, with the total capacity also increasing by 12.5% to 29.5 million net registered 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 will be published in the report "Hong Kong Shipping Statistics, First Quarter 2017". 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) as from mid-June 2017.

     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).
 
Ends/Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:30
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