Within this total, inward port cargo recorded virtually no change compared to a year earlier to 35.9 million tons, while outward port cargo rose seven percent to 25.0 million tons.
For 2006 as a whole, total port cargo throughput grew four percent compared to a year earlier to 238.2 million tons. Within this total, inward port cargo recorded virtually no change to 141.5 million tons, while outward port cargo rose eight percent to 96.7 million tons.
Within port cargo, seaborne cargo increased seven percent compared to a year earlier to 43.3 million tons, while river cargo decreased five percent to 17.5 million tons in the fourth quarter of 2006.
In 2006, seaborne cargo grew three percent to 166.2 million tones while river cargo rose 5% to 72 million tones.
In the fourth quarter of 2006, the port of Hong Kong handled 6.2 million teus of containers, representing a five percent increase compared to a year earlier. Within this total, both laden and empty containers rose five percent to five million teus and 1.1 million teus respectively. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers grew four percent and six percent compared to a year earlier to 2.4 million teus and 2.6 million teus respectively.
In 2006, the port of Hong Kong handled 23.5 million teus of containers, representing a four percent increase compared to 2005. Within this total, laden and empty containers went up five percent and one percent to 19.3 million teus and 4.2 million teus respectively. For laden containers, inward and outward containers rose four percent and five percent to 9.4 million teus and 10.0 million teus respectively.
In the fourth quarter of 2006, the number of ocean vessel arrivals fell two percent compared to a year earlier to 9,770, with the total capacity increasing six percent to 88.9 million net registered tons. Over the same period, the number of river vessel arrivals fell four percent to 47,800, with the total capacity increasing six percent to 28.4 million net registered tons.
In 2006, the number of ocean vessel arrivals recorded was 39,020, virtually the same compared to 2005 with the total capacity up seven percent to 346.6 million net registered tons. Over the same period, the number of river vessel arrivals reached 191,940, also virtually no change from 2005, with the total capacity up nine percent to 109.8 million net registered tons.
