Within this total, inward port cargo fell 1% to 34.9 million tonnes, while outward port cargo rose 1% to 26.7 million tonnes.

For the first nine months of this year, total port cargo throughput rose 2% over a year earlier, to 180.4 million tonnes. Inward port cargo dropped 1%, to 104.6 million tonnes, while outward port cargo grew 6%, to 75.8 million tonnes.

On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput dropped 3% in the third quarter. Within this total, inward port cargo slipped 4%, and outward port cargo fell 2%.

The port of Hong Kong handled 6.2 million containers in the third quarter, a rise of 2% over a year earlier. Both laden and empty containers rose 2% to 5.1 million and 1.1 million. Among laden containers, both inward and outward containers grew 2%, to 2.4 million and 2.7 million.

Ocean -vessel arrivals fell 9% over a year earlier, to 9,100, with the total capacity rising 8%, to 94.5 million net registered tonnes. River-vessel arrivals grew 1%, to 48,550, with the total capacity dropping 9%, to 25 million net registered tonnes.