The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) today (March 5) released the statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the fourth quarter of 2018.
 
     In the fourth quarter of 2018, total port cargo throughput decreased by 13.0% compared with the fourth quarter of 2017 to 65.1 million tonnes. Within this total, inward port cargo and outward port cargo decreased by 14.3% and 10.8% compared with the fourth quarter of 2017 to 40.0 million tonnes and 25.1 million tonnes respectively.
 
     For 2018 as a whole, total port cargo throughput decreased by 8.2% compared with the whole year of 2017 to 258.5 million tonnes. Within this total, inward port cargo and outward port cargo decreased by 8.6% and 7.4% compared with the whole year of 2017 to 159.5 million tonnes and 99.0 million tonnes respectively.
 
     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput increased by 4.8% in the fourth quarter of 2018. Within this total, inward port cargo and outward port cargo increased by 7.4% and 0.8% 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 decreased by 6.0% and 22.8% in the fourth quarter of 2018 compared with the fourth quarter of 2017 to 41.2 million tonnes and 23.9 million tonnes respectively.
 
     Within inward port cargo, imports and inward transhipment decreased by 18.0% and 8.8% in the fourth quarter of 2018 compared with the fourth quarter of 2017 to 22.7 million tonnes and 17.3 million tonnes respectively. For outward port cargo, exports (including domestic exports and re-exports) and outward transhipment decreased by 22.7% and 3.3% compared with the fourth quarter of 2017 to 8.3 million tonnes and 16.8 million tonnes respectively.
 
     Within port cargo, seaborne and river cargo decreased by 7.0% and 10.2% in the whole year of 2018 compared with the whole year of 2017 to 164.5 million tonnes and 94.0 million tonnes respectively.
 
     Within inward port cargo, imports and inward transhipment decreased by 8.9% and 8.3% in the whole year of 2018 compared with the whole year of 2017 to 91.4 million tonnes and 68.1 million tonnes respectively. For outward port cargo, exports and outward transhipment decreased by 11.4% and 5.2% compared with the whole year of 2017 to 33.8 million tonnes and 65.3 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 fourth quarter of 2018 with the fourth quarter of 2017, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Malaysia (+22.8%) and Taiwan (+19.0%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Indonesia (-45.6%), the United States of America (-18.1%), Korea (-16.9%), Singapore (-16.6%), Japan (-14.1%) and the mainland of China (-11.6%). For outward port cargo, double-digit increase was recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in the Philippines (+20.2%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Macao (-19.2%), the mainland of China (-15.8%) and Taiwan (-11.7%).
 
     Comparing the whole year of 2018 with the whole year of 2017, double-digit increase was recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Malaysia (+15.2%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Singapore (-19.1%), Japan (-19.0%), the United States of America (-15.3%), Korea (-14.7%) and Indonesia (-10.2%). For outward port cargo, double-digit increase was recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in the Philippines (+13.0%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Macao (-50.6%), Korea (-15.3%), Thailand (-14.0%), Taiwan (-13.2%) and Malaysia (-10.6%).
 
     The principal commodities of inward port cargo and outward port cargo are shown in Table 4 and Table 5 respectively.
 
     Comparing the fourth quarter of 2018 with the fourth quarter of 2017, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of "coal, coke and briquettes" (-45.3%), "stone, sand and gravel" (-27.5%) and "logs and timber; wood, simply worked" (-27.3%). As for outward port cargo, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of "artificial resins and plastic materials" (+18.8%), "logs and timber; wood, simply worked" (-20.0%), "metalliferous ores and metal scrap" (-28.0%) and "stone, sand and gravel" (-36.7%).
 
     Comparing the whole year of 2018 with the whole year of 2017, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of "stone, sand and gravel" (-16.5%) and "coal, coke and briquettes" (-13.9%). As for outward port cargo, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of "metalliferous ores and metal scrap" (-27.6%) and "stone, sand and gravel" (-14.1%).
 
Containers
 
     In the fourth quarter of 2018, the port of Hong Kong handled 4.96 million TEUs of containers, representing a decrease of 4.9% compared with the fourth quarter of 2017. Within this total, laden containers decreased by 5.8% to 4.19 million TEUs, while empty containers increased by 0.6% to 0.76 million TEUs. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers decreased by 7.8% and 3.6% to 2.16 million TEUs and 2.03 million TEUs respectively.
 
     For 2018 as a whole, the port of Hong Kong handled 19.60 million TEUs of containers, representing a decrease of 5.7% compared with the whole year of 2017. Within this total, laden and empty containers decreased by 5.9% and 4.0% to 16.70 million TEUs and 2.90 million TEUs respectively. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers decreased by 6.3% and 5.5% to 8.63 million TEUs and 8.07 million TEUs respectively.
 
     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, laden container throughput increased by 3.2% in the fourth quarter of 2018. Within this total, inward and outward laden containers increased by 2.9% and 3.5% respectively.
 
     In the fourth quarter of 2018, seaborne and river laden containers decreased by 6.9% and 3.0% compared with the fourth quarter of 2017 to 2.95 million TEUs and 1.24 million TEUs respectively.
 
     Within inward laden containers, imports and inward transhipment decreased by 7.1% and 8.1% in the fourth quarter of 2018 compared with the fourth quarter of 2017 to 0.64 million TEUs and 1.52 million TEUs respectively. For outward laden containers, exports and outward transhipment decreased by 0.2% and 4.9% to 0.57 million TEUs and 1.46 million TEUs respectively.
 
     In the whole year of 2018, seaborne and river laden containers decreased by 7.7% and 1.3% compared with the whole year of 2017 to 11.88 million TEUs and 4.82 million TEUs respectively.
 
     Within inward laden containers, imports and inward transhipment decreased by 5.5% and 6.6% in the whole year of 2018 compared with the whole year of 2017 to 2.57 million TEUs and 6.06 million TEUs respectively. For outward laden containers, exports and outward transhipment decreased by 5.9% and 5.4% to 2.25 million TEUs and 5.82 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 fourth quarter of 2018 with the fourth quarter of 2017, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased by 2.5% to 6 425, with the total capacity also decreasing by 1.3% to 100.1 million net registered tons. Meanwhile, the number of river vessel arrivals decreased by 8.8% to 36 997, with the total capacity also decreasing by 4.9% to 28.6 million net registered tons.
 
     Comparing the whole year of 2018 with the whole year of 2017, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased by 5.2% to 25 410, with the total capacity also decreasing by 5.2% to 398.7 million net registered tons. Meanwhile, the number of river vessel arrivals decreased by 5.9% to 149 200, with the total capacity also decreasing by 7.5% to 110.7 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 are published in the report "Hong Kong Shipping Statistics, Fourth Quarter 2018". 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).

Ends/Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Issued at HKT 16:30

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