The container terminals, mid stream and river trade volume registered 9.16 million TEU from January to June, with June volume dropping 8.6 per cent to 1.6 million TEU, according to IHS Media.
Most of the Hong Kong`s volume is from the container terminals at Kwai Chung that handled 7.24 million boxes in the first six months, 9.2 per cent down year-on-year.
A large part of Hong Kong`s port decline can be laid at the unwillingness of the government to address its failings over more than a decade such as insufficient back-up land at the terminals, cost and delays of bringing containers across the border from China factories and the inability of Chinese truckers to drive in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong government is taking measures to increase back up land at the terminal and is providing additional barge berths, but the measures come far too late to stop what appears to be a slow but terminal decline.
In a bid to address the many challenges, the old Maritime Industry Council and the Port Development Council have combined to form the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board that is chaired by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Anthony Cheung.