The Port of Hong Kong handled 5.6 million 20-foot-equivalent units in the fourth quarter of 2012, falling 9 percent compared to a year earlier, according to Hong Kong’s Census and Statistics Department.
Within this total, laden containers declined 9 percent to 4.8 million TEUs, while empty containers fell 8 percent to 0.8 million TEUs. Among laden containers, inbound containers decreased 7 percent to 2.4 million TEUs and export containers dropped 11 percent to 2.4 million TEUs.
For the full year of 2012, the port moved 23.1 million TEUs, a decline of 5 percent compared to 2011. Laden containers decreased 5 percent to 19.7 million TEUs, and empty containers dropped 6 percent to 3.5 million TEUs. Among laden containers, import containers decreased 5 percent to 9.8 million TEUs and export containers dropped 6 percent to 9.8 million TEUs.
Cargo volume in the fourth quarter of 2012 totaled 66.3 million metric tons, decreasing 6 percent compared to a year earlier. Within this total, inbound port cargo fell 4 percent to 37.6 million metric tons and outbound port cargo dropped 9 percent to 28.7 million metric tons.
For the full year, port cargo volume decreased 3 percent to 269.3 million metric tons. Import port cargo dropped 2 percent to 154.7 million metric tons and export cargo fell 4 percent to 114.6 million metric tons.
The Journal of Commerce