For the first nine months of 2010, total port cargo throughput increased by 11% compared with a year earlier to 197.8 million tons. Within this total, inward and outward port cargo rose by 12% and 10% to 114.4 million tons and 83.4 million tons respectively.
On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput increased by 1% in the third quarter of 2010. Within this total, both inward and outward port cargo went up by 1%. The seasonally adjusted series enables more meaningful shorter-term comparison to be made for discerning possible variations in trends.
Port cargo
Within port cargo, seaborne cargo increased by 8% over a year earlier to 46.6 million tons, while river cargo recorded virtually no change at 21.2 million tons in the third quarter of 2010.
Within inward port cargo, imports and inward transhipment increased by 3% and 13% in the third quarter of 2010 over a year earlier to 20.1 million tons and 19.0 million tons respectively. For outward port cargo, exports (including domestic exports and re-exports) decreased by 9% over a year earlier to 9.4 million tons, while outward transhipment rose by 9% to 19.3 million tons.
Within port cargo, seaborne and river cargo increased by 13% and 6% in the first nine months of 2010 over a year earlier to 135.0 million tons and 62.9 million tons respectively.
Within inward port cargo, imports and inward transhipment increased by 5% and 20% in the first nine months of 2010 over a year earlier to 58.8 million tons and 55.6 million tonnes respectively. For outward port cargo, exports decreased by 3% to 28.0 million tonnes, while outward transhipment increased by 18% to 55.4 million tons.
Containers
In the third quarter of 2010, the port of Hong Kong handled 6.2 million TEUs of containers, representing an increase of 11% over a year earlier. Within this total, laden containers increased by 9% to 5.2 million TEUs, while empty containers also rose by 19% to 1.0 million TEUs. Among laden containers, inward containers increased by 10% to 2.5 million TEUs, while outward containers also rose by 8% to 2.7 million TEUs.
In the first nine months of 2010, the port of Hong Kong handled 17.6 million TEUs of containers, representing an increase of 14% over the same period in 2009. Within this total, laden containers went up by 14% to 14.9 million TEUs, while empty containers also increased by 15% to 2.8 million TEUs. Among laden containers, inward containers increased by 15% to 7.4 million TEUs, while outward containers also rose by 13% to 7.5 million TEUs.
On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, laden container throughput decreased by 2% in the third quarter of 2010. Within this total, inward laden containers dropped by 3%, while outward laden containers recorded virtually no change.
Both seaborne and river laden containers increased by 9% in the third quarter of 2010 over a year earlier to 3.8 million TEUs and 1.4 million TEUs respectively.
Within inward laden containers, imports and inward transhipment increased by 4% and 14% in the third quarter of 2010 over a year earlier to 0.9 million TEUs and 1.7 million TEUs respectively. For outward laden containers, exports and outward transhipment increased by 6% and 10% to 0.9 million TEUs and 1.8 million TEUs respectively.
In the first nine months of 2010, seaborne and river laden containers increased by 15% and 10% over the same period in 2009 to 10.8 million TEUs and 4.0 million TEUs respectively.
Within inward laden containers, impo
