In the third quarter of Hong Kong, the throughput of port cargo was 41.3 million metric tons, a year-on-year decrease of 5.6%.

On December 2, the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government announced the statistics for the third quarter of 2025 for ships, port cargo, and containers. The data shows that the throughput of port cargo in Hong Kong in the third quarter of 2025 decreased by 5.6% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 41.3 million metric tons. Among them, the inbound port cargo decreased by 11.0% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 24.7 million metric tons, while outbound port cargo increased by 3.8% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 16.6 million metric tons. The throughput of port cargo in Hong Kong in the first nine months of 2025 decreased by 5.7% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 124.8 million metric tons. Among them, the inbound port cargo decreased by 11.2% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 74.4 million metric tons, while outbound port cargo increased by 3.8% compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 50.4 million metric tons. In the seasonally adjusted third quarter of 2025, the throughput of port cargo in Hong Kong decreased by 2.9% compared to the previous quarter. Among them, inbound port cargo and outbound port cargo decreased by 2.8% and 3.0% respectively compared to the previous quarter. Port Cargo In the third quarter of 2025, the sea and river cargo throughput in Hong Kong decreased by 6.7% and 3.7% respectively compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 25.5 million metric tons and 15.8 million metric tons. In the first nine months of 2025, sea and river cargo throughput in Hong Kong decreased by 5.7% and 5.6% respectively compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 77.9 million metric tons and 46.9 million metric tons. In the third quarter of 2025 compared to the same period a year ago, the main countries/regions with double-digit increase in weight of inbound port cargo were Thailand (up 12.2%). On the other hand, Chile (down 49.1%), South Korea (down 28.0%), Vietnam (down 24.4%), Indonesia (down 15.3%), and Malaysia (down 13.2%) recorded double-digit declines. In outbound port cargo, the main countries/regions with double-digit increase in weight were Australia (up 53.8%), Malaysia (up 21.2%), and mainland China (up 11.7%). On the other hand, Thailand (down 49.7%), the United States (down 48.8%), Japan (down 26.1%), Vietnam (down 25.3%), and the Philippines (down 12.1%) recorded double-digit declines. In the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period a year ago, the main countries/regions with double-digit declines in weight of inbound port cargo were Vietnam (down 26.2%), South Korea (down 25.4%), Indonesia (down 24.0%), Malaysia (down 20.8%), Japan (down 14.3%), Thailand (down 13.0%), and Taiwan (down 12.8%). In outbound port cargo, the main countries/regions with double-digit increases in weight were Australia (up 35.7%) and mainland China (up 11.9%). On the other hand, the United States (down 41.6%), Thailand (down 32.2%), the Philippines (down 24.8%), Vietnam (down 24.3%), and Japan (down 20.3%) recorded double-digit declines. In the third quarter of 2025 compared to the same period a year ago, the main commodities with double-digit variance in weight for inbound port cargo were "metal ores and metal scrap" (up 14.7%), "machinery" (down 12.1%), "Coal, coking coal, and coal balls" (down 13.6%), "synthetic resins and plastics" (down 18.7%), and "stone, sand, and gravel" (down 27.2%). In outbound port cargo, the main commodities with triple-digit or double-digit variance in weight were "stone, sand, and gravel" (up 100.2%), "synthetic resins and plastics" (down 19.0%), and "pulp and waste paper" (down 38.3%). In the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period a year ago, the main commodities with double-digit variance in weight for inbound port cargo were "metal ores and metal scrap" (up 22.4%), "synthetic resins and plastics" (down 17.4%), "coal, coking coal, and coal balls" (down 23.3%), and "stone, sand, and gravel" (down 31.8%). In outbound port cargo, the main commodities with double-digit variance in weight were "stone, sand, and gravel" (up 70.5%), "metal ores and metal scrap" (up 13.9%), "pulp and waste paper" (down 15.5%), and "synthetic resins and plastics" (down 19.4%). Containers In the third quarter of 2025, Hong Kong's ports handled 3.1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers, a decrease of 9.1% compared to the same period a year ago. Among them, loaded containers and empty containers decreased by 8.8% and 10.1% respectively, reaching 2.5 million TEUs and 0.6 million TEUs. In loaded containers, inbound and outbound containers decreased by 10.0% and 7.4% respectively, reaching 1.32 million TEUs and 1.18 million TEUs. In the first nine months of 2025, Hong Kong's ports handled 9.68 million TEUs of containers, a decrease of 4.9% compared to the same period a year ago. Among them, loaded containers and empty containers decreased by 5.9% and 0.7% respectively, reaching 7.66 million TEUs and 2.02 million TEUs. In loaded containers, inbound and outbound containers decreased by 6.7% and 5.0% respectively, reaching 4.08 million TEUs and 3.58 million TEUs. In the seasonally adjusted third quarter of 2025, the throughput of loaded containers in Hong Kong decreased by 3.8% compared to the previous quarter. Among them, inbound and outbound loaded containers decreased by 3.6% and 4.1% respectively. In the third quarter of 2025, sea and river loaded container throughput in Hong Kong decreased by 7.5% and 11.8% respectively compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 1.76 million TEUs and 0.74 million TEUs. In the first nine months of 2025, sea and river loaded container throughput in Hong Kong decreased by 5.3% and 7.4% respectively compared to the same period a year ago, reaching 5.4 million TEUs and 2.26 million TEUs. Inbound Ship Calls In the third quarter of 2025 compared to the same period a year ago, the number of inbound ocean-going vessel calls increased by 6.4% to 4,793 calls, with a total capacity also increasing by 2.1% to 72.7 million net tons. Meanwhile, the number of inbound river vessel calls decreased by 8.0% to 19,060 calls, while the total capacity increased by 8.4% to 23.2 million net tons. In the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period a year ago, the number of inbound ocean-going vessel calls increased by 4.2% to 14,199 calls, with a total capacity also increasing by 0.9% to 21.74 million net tons. Meanwhile, the number of inbound river vessel calls decreased by 4.2% to 58,954 calls, while the total capacity increased by 13.9% to 69.9 million net tons.