PORT of Melbourne’s total container trade jumped 19.1% last month, compared with February 2023.
The port handled a total of 262,250 TEU in February 2024.
Full container import volumes (excluding Bass Strait) were up 26.4% in February this year compared with February 2024, with furniture, machinery, domestic appliances and paperboard all above the previous year’s volumes.
Full container export volumes (excluding Bass Strait) also increased for the same period, by 13.8%, with hay, chaff and fodder, fresh fruit, barley and packaged beef above last February’s volumes.
Total empty container movements were up 27.9% in February 2024 against the prior year’s volumes, and full transhipments were down 18% for the same period.
In the non-container trades, motor vehicle units in February 2024 were down 9.5% against units handled in February 2023, but the liquid bulk trade was up 28.6%.
The dry bulk trade increased 4.3% year-on-year and break-bulk trade increased 25.2% for the same period.
Other non-container trades were down 6.4% in February 2024 compared with the previous year.
