Port of Melbourne reported an increase in total container throughput for October compared to the same month in 2023, with volumes reaching 295,000 TEUs.
Full container imports (excluding Bass Strait) also saw an increase, with furniture, domestic appliances, and paperboard all surpassing the volumes of the previous year.
Similarly, full container exports (excluding Bass Strait) were up, with notable growth in cotton, timber, hay, chaff & fodder, and wheat. Additionally, total empty container movements experienced an increase compared to the same period last year.
In October 2024, total container trade increased by 13,700 TEUs, or 4.9%, compared to October 2023. For the financial year-to-date (FYTD) through October 2024, the total container trade grew by 42,000 TEUs, reflecting a 3.8% increase.
Full container imports (excluding Bass Strait) saw a 4.1% increase in October 2024, rising by 4,800 TEUs. For the FYTD, full imports were up by 19,200 TEUs, or 4.3%.
On the export side, full container exports (excluding Bass Strait) rose by 1,700 TEUs (3.1%) in October. For the FYTD, exports increased by 24,500 TEUs, marking an 11.3% growth.
Furthermore, the Full Bass Strait trade experienced a notable upticjk of 5.8% in October 2024, with a gain of 1,100 TEUs. The FYTD growth for Bass Strait was modest at 1.8%, with an increase of 1,200 TEUs.
Meanwhile, the transshipment sector showed a substantial increase in October, rising by 42.4%, or 5,900 TEUs. The FYTD for transhipments grew by 6.7% or 4,000 TEUs.
In addition, in terms of empty container trade, October saw a slight increase of 200 TEUs (0.2%), while the FYTD experienced a decrease of 6,900 TEUs, or 2.3%.