HONG KONG`s total cargo handled by the port in the third quarter of 2009 fell by four per cent over a year earlier to 64.4 million tonnes.
Within this total, inward and outward port cargo dropped by two per cent and seven per cent, respectively, to 36.3 million tonnes and 28.1 million tonnes.
For the first nine months of the year, total port cargo throughput decreased by 10 per cent compared to the same period in 2008 to 178.3 million tonnes. Within this total, inward and outward port cargo dropped by eight per cent and 12 per cent to 102.4 million tonnes and 75.9 million tonnes, respectively, according to figures released by the Census and Statistics Department.
The Port of Hong Kong handled 5.6 million TEU in the third quarter, representing a decrease of 16 per cent over a year earlier.
Within this total, laden containers fell by 13 per cent to 4.8 million TEU, while empty containers dropped by 28 per cent to 0.8 million TEU.
Among laden containers, inward containers decreased 13 per cent to 2.3 million TEU, while outward containers also dropped 13 per cent to 2.5 million TEU.
In the first nine months of the year, Hong Kong handled 15.5 million TEU of containers, down 17 per cent over the same period last year. Within this total, laden containers decreased 16 per cent to 13.1 million TEU, while empty containers dropped 23 per cent to 2.4 million TEU.
In the third quarter, the number of ocean vessel arrivals fell one per cent over a year earlier to 8,780, with the total capacity increased one per cent to 94.3 million net registered tons.
In the first nine months, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased by 10 per cent year on year to 24,620, with the total capacity decreasing by two per cent to 283.8 million net registered tons.