Hong Kong: The port cargo throughput reached 176.7 million tons in 2024, an increase of 1% year-on-year.

The Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong government today (March 4) announced the statistics for the fourth quarter of 2024 for ships, port cargo, and containers. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the throughput of port cargo in Hong Kong increased by 1.1% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 44.3 million metric tons. Among them, incoming port cargo decreased by 3.5% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 27.3 million metric tons, while outgoing port cargo increased by 9.6% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 17.1 million metric tons. The total throughput of port cargo for the full year of 2024 increased by 1.0% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 176.7 million metric tons. Among them, incoming port cargo decreased by 0.5% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 111.1 million metric tons, while outgoing port cargo increased by 3.9% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 65.6 million metric tons. In the fourth quarter of 2024, sea cargo in port decreased by 1.8% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 27.8 million metric tons, while river cargo increased by 6.5% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 16.5 million metric tons. For the full year of 2024, sea cargo in port decreased by 4.1% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 110.5 million metric tons, while river cargo increased by 10.9% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 66.2 million metric tons. In the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same period a year ago, the main countries/regions with double-digit growth in weight of incoming port cargo were South Korea (up 43.4%) and Singapore (up 18.3%). On the other hand, Indonesia (down 42.5%), the United States (down 31.5%), Malaysia (down 24.1%), Thailand (down 20.6%), Vietnam (down 17.7%), and Japan (down 13.1%) experienced double-digit declines. In outgoing port cargo, the main countries/regions with double-digit growth in weight were Taiwan (up 29.9%), Vietnam (up 21.6%), Mainland China (up 21.4%), and South Korea (up 20.3%). Conversely, the Philippines (down 49.0%), Malaysia (down 21.9%), Japan (down 17.6%), and the United States (down 12.1%) experienced double-digit declines. For the full year of 2024, compared to the same period a year ago, the main countries/regions with double-digit growth in weight of incoming port cargo were South Korea (up 29.4%) and Singapore (up 21.4%). On the other hand, the United States (down 27.5%), Indonesia (down 26.9%), Malaysia (down 21.0%), Vietnam (down 18.3%), Thailand (down 16.0%), and Japan (down 15.8%) experienced double-digit declines. In outgoing port cargo, the main countries/regions with double-digit growth in weight were Vietnam (up 15.3%), Mainland China (up 12.6%), and Taiwan (up 11.5%). Conversely, the Philippines (down 32.2%), Japan (down 19.2%), Malaysia (down 16.0%), Thailand (down 13.4%), and the United States (down 10.9%) experienced double-digit declines. In the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same period a year ago, the main goods with double-digit changes in weight in incoming port cargo were "metal ores and metal scrap" (up 26.3%), "petroleum, petroleum products, and by-products" (up 22.8%), "synthetic resins and plastics" (down 10.1%), "stones, sand, and gravel" (down 13.2%), and "coal, coking coal, and coal pellets" (down 48.2%). In outgoing port cargo, the main goods with triple-digit or double-digit growth in weight were "stones, sand, and gravel" (up 169.0%), "metal ores and metal scrap" (up 30.1%), and "meat of livestock and its products" (up 11.8%). For the full year of 2024, compared to the same period a year ago, the main goods with double-digit changes in weight of incoming port cargo were "petroleum, petroleum products, and by-products" (up 17.5%), "metal ores and metal scrap" (up 12.2%), and "coal, coking coal, and coal pellets" (down 15.3%). In outgoing port cargo, the main goods with triple-digit or double-digit changes in weight were "stones, sand, and gravel" (up 142.8%), "metal ores and metal scrap" (up 13.7%), and "meat of livestock and its products" (down 11.2%). Container In the fourth quarter of 2024, Hong Kong's ports handled 3.51 million TEUs of containers, a decrease of 2.8% compared to the same period a year ago. Among them, loaded containers and empty containers decreased by 0.2% and 11.7%, to 2.79 million TEUs and 0.72 million TEUs, respectively. In loaded containers, incoming containers remained relatively unchanged at 1.48 million TEUs, while outgoing containers decreased by 0.4% to 1.31 million TEUs. For the full year of 2024, Hong Kong's ports handled 13.69 million TEUs of containers, a decrease of 5.0% compared to the same period a year ago. Among them, loaded containers and empty containers decreased by 3.4% and 10.6%, to 10.93 million TEUs and 2.76 million TEUs, respectively. In loaded containers, both incoming and outgoing containers decreased by 3.3% and 3.5% to 5.85 million TEUs and 5.08 million TEUs, respectively. The seasonally adjusted throughput of loaded containers in the fourth quarter of 2024 increased by 2.7% compared to the previous quarter. Among them, incoming and outgoing loaded containers increased by 1.5% and 4.1%, respectively. In the fourth quarter of 2024, sea containers decreased by 1.4% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 1.93 million TEUs, while river containers increased by 2.6% to 0.86 million TEUs. For the full year of 2024, sea containers decreased by 5.0% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 7.63 million TEUs, while river containers increased byIncreased by 0.6%, reaching 3.3 million standard container units.Arrival of vessels at port. In the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same period a year ago, the number of arrivals of oceangoing vessels at port decreased by 1.4% to 4,772 vessels, with a total capacity decrease of 1.1% to 76.4 million net tons. At the same time, the number of arrivals of river vessels at port increased by 1.0% to 20,685 vessels, with a total capacity increase of 16.7% to 23.4 million net tons. For the full year of 2024, compared to the same period a year ago, the number of arrivals of oceangoing vessels at port decreased by 2.5% to 18,395 vessels, with a total capacity decrease of 3.2% to 29.19 million net tons. Meanwhile, the number of arrivals of river vessels at port increased by 12.1% to 82,194 vessels, with a total capacity increase of 13.5% to 84.8 million net tons.