Third quarter leaves port container traffic down 17 percent for the year from 2008

The slowdown in global trade took its toll of Hong Kong’s container traffic in the third quarter, according to the latest figures released by Hong Kong’s Census and Statistics Department.

The volume of containers handled by the port declined by 16 percent from a year earlier to 5.6 million 20-foot containers.

Within this total, laden containers decreased by 13 percent to 4.8 million TEUs, while empty containers dropped by 28 percent to 0.8 million TEUs. Among laden containers, inbound containers decreased by 13 percent to 2.3 million TEUs, while outbound containers dropped by 13 percent to 2.5 million TEUs.

In the first nine months of 2009, the port of Hong Kong handled 15.5 million TEUs, which represents a decrease of 17 percent over the same period in 2008.

Within this total, laden containers decreased by 16 percent to 13.1 million TEUs, while empty containers dropped by 23 percent to 2.4 million TEUs. Among laden containers, inbound containers decreased by 15 percent to 6.5 million TEUs, while outbound containers dropped by 17 percent to 6.6 million TEUs.

On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, laden container throughput increased by 4 percent in the third quarter of 2009. Within this total, inbound and outbound laden containers rose by 2 percent and 6 percent respectively.

Seaborne and river laden containers decreased by 14 percent and 10 percent in the third quarter of 2009 from a year earlier to 3.5 million TEUs and 1.3 million TEUs respectively.

Within inbound laden containers, imports and inbound transshipment decreased by 14 percent and 12 percent in the third quarter of 2009 over a year earlier to 0.8 million TEUs and 1.5 million TEUs respectively. For outbound laden containers, exports and outbound transshipment decreased by 21 percent and 9 percent to 0.9 million TEUs and 1.6 million TEUs respectively.

In the first nine months of 2009, seaborne and river laden containers decreased by 18 percent and 10 percent over the same period in 2008 to 9.4 million TEUs and 3.6 million TEUs respectively.

Within inbound laden containers, imports and inbound transshipment decreased by 14 percent and 15 percent in the first nine months of 2009 over a year earlier to 2.3 million TEUs and 4.1 million TEUs respectively. For outbound laden containers, exports and outbound transshipment decreased by 22 percent and 14 percent to 2.3 million TEUs and 4.3 million TEUs respectively.