Brisbane’s container throughput up across the board

THE latest trade data available from the Port of Brisbane shows a significant increase in total container throughput for July 2021, up by almost a quarter compared with the same month last year.

With a total of 136,447 TEU passing through the port, the 23.5% rise can be largely attributed to increases across most imports and exports.

Of the total container throughput, imports accounted for 60,761 TEU, a 13.3% increase. Empty container comprised 5119 TEU of the port’s total container imports.

Full container imports in totalled 55,642 TEU, up 15.3% compared with the same month last year.

FAK imports increased by more than half, up by 52.5%, with 4019 TEU reported for July 2021 compared with 2635 in July 2020.

The only containerised import commodity to see a decrease in July this year was electrical equipment, which dropped by 13.6%, with 4521 TEU passing through Brisbane.

Shifting focus, container exports accounted for 62,964 TEU of Port of Brisbane’s container trade total for July 2021, up 21.1% since last year.

Of these, 30,058 TEU were empty, up 23.3% on July 2020, and accounting for almost half of all container exports.

Cotton exports experienced a tremendous increase (percentagewise) in July with 5062 TEU, up 719.1% over July last year; and agricultural seeds with 4673 TEU, were up 350.2%.

The only export commodity to have decreased was timber, dropping by 78.4% with 1267 TEU passing through Brisbane compared with 5874 TEU the previous year.

Turning to total trade throughput, July saw a total of more than 3 million tonnes pass through Brisbane in July, which was a 22.5% increase from the same time last year.

Imports reached a total of 1.53 million tonnes, up 8.4%, with exports coming to 1.37 million tonnes, a 46.3% increase.

Import commodities with the greatest variances include crude oil, up 450.9% to 445,806 tonnes; and refined oil, at 292,799 tonnes down 40.1% on July 2020.

Agricultural seeds exports saw the most significant variance in July 2021, soaring to a 987.7% increase on July 2020. A total of 240,753 tonnes of seeds were exported this year compared with 22,135 tonnes at the same time last year.

The Port of Brisbane saw a 125% increase in motor vehicle units crossing the wharves, with 26,888 motor vehicle units passing through during July this year.