THROUGHPUT at Port Botany decreased in November, compared with the same month last year, according to the latest available statistics from NSW Ports.
Last month, the port handled a total of 201,065 TEU, which was a decrease of 19.6% on the same month last year, when throughput reached 250,112 TEU.
This decrease was driven by significant decreases in both import and export containers.
Imports
Full container imports through Port Botany in November were down 17.2% on the same month last year to 101,943 TEU.
Machinery was the top commodity imported in containers through Port Botany in November with 16,020 TEU, a decrease of 24% on November 2022.
This was followed by miscellaneous manufactured articles at 12,362 TEU (a decrease of 23.8%); foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco at 11,419 TEU (a decrease of 20%); and plastic and rubber at 9467 TEU (a decrease of 20.5%).
Exports
Like imports, exports of containerised cargo saw a significant decrease in November.
Total exports last month came to 95,521 TEU, which was a decrease of 24.4% on November 2022’s numbers.
Full exports decreased by 16% to 38,136 TEU, and empty exports decreased 29% to 57,385 TEU.
Exports of empty containers fell off a cliff, diving 29% in November (compared with the same month last year) to 57,385 TEU.
Turning to the financial-year-to-date numbers, we also find decreases, but less severe than the monthly numbers.
The year to date
For the five months through November 2023, Port Botany handled a total of 1.1 million TEU, a decrease on the same period last year of 7.39%.
Like the monthly numbers, this was driven by decreases in both imports and exports.
Over the five months to the end of November, the port handled 576,748 TEU of full import containers, a decrease of 5.77% on the same period last year.
Exports were also down at 558,517 TEU for the five months – a 9% decrease on the same period last year.
