The Port of Hong Kong handled fewer standard containers in the second quarter of the year, serving 5.3 million twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) to post a decrease of 10% compared to the same quarter in 2014, according to the Census and Statistics Department.
Of this total, laden containers decreased by 11% to 4.5 million TEUs and empty containers receded 4% to 800,000 TEUs. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers dropped by 9% and 12% to 2.3 million TEUs and 2.2 million TEUs, respectively.
The first half of 2015 likewise registered a fall in container traffic, with the port handling 10.2 million TEUs of containers, or a decrease of 9% compared with the same period in 2014. Of this total, figures for laden and empty containers fell by 9% and 4% to 8.7 million TEUs and 1.5 million TEUs, respectively.
Among laden containers, inward and outward containers both dropped by 9% to 4.4 million TEUs and 4.3 million TEUs, respectively.
On a seasonally adjusted quarter-on-quarter comparison, laden container throughput decreased by 1% in the second quarter of 2015. Of this total, inward freight increased by 4%, while outward cargo dropped by 5%.
Total cargo throughput, meanwhile, deflated in the second quarter of 2015 as well, down 11% to 68.4 million tonnes compared to the same period a year earlier. Inward cargo decreased by 16% to 40.5 million tonnes, while outward cargo shrank by 5% to 27.8 million tonnes.
In the first half of 2015, throughput decreased by 6% to 136.8 million tonnes compared to the same period a year earlier. Of this total, inward and outward cargo decreased by 10% and 1% to 82.4 million tonnes and 54.3 million tonnes, respectively.
On a seasonally adjusted quarter-on-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput decreased by 8% in the second quarter of this year. Inward cargo dropped by 14%, while outward cargo recorded virtually no change.
As for vessel arrivals, the second quarter of 2015 booked a 2% slide in ocean vessel arrivals to 7,500, with the total capacity increasing by 2% to 104.5 million net registered tons. River vessel arrivals increased by 2% to 40,370, with the total capacity sliding down by 8% to 26.5 million net registered tons.
In the first half of 2015, ocean vessel arrivals contracted by 1% to 14,860, with the total capacity increasing by 1% to 207.3 million net registered tons. River vessel arrivals rose by 3% to 79,570, with the total capacity decreasing by 4% to 52.1 million net registered tons.
Photo: Baycrest
