Hong Kong's port cargo throughput in the fourth quarter of 2025 increased by 1.1% year-on-year to reach 44.8 million metric tons.

On March 5th, the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government released the statistical figures for the fourth quarter of 2025 regarding ships, port cargo, and containers. The throughput of port cargo in the fourth quarter of 2025 increased by 1.1% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 44.8 million tons. Among them, inbound port cargo decreased by 6.0% compared to a year ago, totaling 25.6 million tons, while outbound port cargo increased by 12.3% compared to a year ago, reaching 19.2 million tons. The total throughput of port cargo for the entire year of 2025 decreased by 4.0% compared to the same period a year ago, totaling 169.6 million tons. Among them, inbound port cargo decreased by 9.9% compared to a year ago, totaling 100.1 million tons, while outbound port cargo increased by 6.0% compared to a year ago, totaling 69.6 million tons. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the volume of sea freight in port cargo decreased by 7.4% compared to a year ago, totaling 25.8 million tons, while the volume of river freight increased by 15.4% compared to a year ago, totaling 19.1 million tons. For the entire year of 2025, sea freight and river freight in port cargo decreased by 6.2% and 0.4% respectively compared to a year ago, totaling 103.7 million tons and 66 million tons. In the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to a year ago, the main loading countries/regions with double-digit decreases in weight for inbound port cargo were Chile (down 33.2%), South Korea (down 27.6%), Indonesia (down 27.2%), Malaysia (down 20.0%), Taiwan (down 14.9%), and Vietnam (down 13.1%). In outbound port cargo, the main unloading countries/regions with double-digit increases in weight were Mainland China (up 30.7%), Australia (up 13.3%), and the Philippines (up 10.9%). On the other hand, Thailand (down 48.9%), the United States (down 46.4%), Vietnam (down 27.4%), South Korea (down 24.3%), Japan (down 22.0%), and Malaysia (down 16.8%) recorded double-digit decreases. For the entire year of 2025 compared to a year ago, the main loading countries/regions with double-digit decreases in weight for inbound port cargo were South Korea (down 26.1%), Indonesia (down 24.7%), Vietnam (down 23.3%), Malaysia (down 20.6%), Chile (down 16.2%), Taiwan (down 13.4%), and Thailand (down 12.0%). In outbound port cargo, the main unloading countries/regions with double-digit increases in weight were Australia (up 29.9%) and Mainland China (up 16.8%). On the other hand, the United States (down 42.6%), Thailand (down 36.7%), Vietnam (down 25.2%), Japan (down 20.7%), and the Philippines (down 18.4%) recorded double-digit decreases. In the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to a year ago, the main commodities with double-digit percentage changes in weight for inbound port cargo were "Metal ores and metal scrap" (up 20.2%), "Stone, sand, and gravel" (down 17.4%), and "Artificial resins and plastics" (down 20.6%). In outbound port cargo, the main commodities with three-digit or double-digit percentage changes in weight were "Stone, sand, and gravel" (up 127.3%), "Artificial resins and plastics" (down 18.1%), and "Pulp and waste paper" (down 23.3%). For the entire year of 2025 compared to a year ago, the main commodities with double-digit percentage changes in weight for inbound port cargo were "Metal ores and metal scrap" (up 21.8%), "Coal, coke, and coal balls" (down 18.0%), "Artificial resins and plastics" (down 18.2%), and "Stone, sand, and gravel" (down 28.6%). In outbound port cargo, the main commodities with double-digit percentage changes in weight were "Stone, sand, and gravel" (up 85.8%), "Metal ores and metal scrap" (up 10.6%), "Pulp and waste paper" (down 17.6%), and "Artificial resins and plastics" (down 19.0%). For the fourth quarter of 2025, Hong Kong's ports handled 3.32 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) of containers, a decrease of 5.6% compared to the same period a year ago. Among them, loaded containers and empty containers decreased by 6.2% and 3.3% respectively, totaling 2.62 million TEUs and 0.70 million TEUs. Of the loaded containers, inbound and outbound containers both decreased by 6.3% and 6.0%, totaling 1.39 million TEUs and 1.23 million TEUs respectively. For the entire year of 2025, Hong Kong's ports handled 12.99 million TEUs of containers, a decrease of 5.1% compared to the same period a year ago. Among them, loaded containers and empty containers decreased by 6.0% and 1.4%, totaling 10.28 million TEUs and 2.72 million TEUs. Of the loaded containers, inbound and outbound containers decreased by 6.6% and 5.3%, totaling 5.46 million TEUs and 4.81 million TEUs respectively. For the fourth quarter of 2025, the throughput of loaded containers adjusted for seasonality increased by 5.0% compared to the previous quarter. Among them, inbound and outbound loaded containers increased by 5.8% and 4.0% respectively. In the fourth quarter of 2025, sea freight loaded containers decreased by 9.9% compared to a year ago, totaling 1.74 million TEUs, while river freight loaded containers increased by 2.1% compared to a year ago, totaling 0.88 million TEUs. For the entire year of 2025, sea freight and river freight loaded containers decreased by 6.5% and 4.9% respectively compared to a year ago, totaling 7.14 million TEUs and 3.14 million TEUs. In comparison to the same period a year ago, in the fourth quarter of 2025, the number of inbound ocean-going vessel arrivals increased by 2.1% to 4,870 vessel arrivals, with a total capacity decreased by 2.4% to 74.6 million net tons. Meanwhile, the number of inland vessel arrivals decreased by 0.2% to 20,643 vessel arrivals, with a total capacity increased by 9.3% to 25.6 million net tons. For the entire year of 2025 compared to a year ago, the number of inbound ocean-going vessel arrivals increased by 3.7% to 19,069 vessel arrivals, with the total capacity remaining roughly the same at 292 million net tons. Meanwhile, the number of inland vessel arrivals decreased by 3.2% to 79,597 vessel arrivals, with the total capacity increased by 12.6% to 95.5 million net tons.