CONTAINER trade at Port Botany showed a big increase last month, according to the latest available trade statistics from NSW Ports.
Port Botany’s total container throughput increased by more than 18% last month, compared with September 2020.
Last month a total of 225,273 TEU crossed the wharves at Botany.
Both exports and imports rose over the period. Exports last month were reported to be 112,111 TEU (an increase of 19% on last year), and imports were 113,162 TEU (an increase of 18%).
Drilling down into the export numbers, we see a small increase in empties – up 2.4% to 67,307 TEU.
However, full exports increased by 57%, or 16,227 TEU, to 44,805 TEU for last month.
The biggest containerised export commodities through Port Botany were vegetable products (up 319% on September 2020 to 7254 TEU); foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco (up 89% to 6926 TEU); and paper, paper products, wastepaper (up 15% to 5160 TEU).
Total full imports increased by 17% to 112,016 TEU in September. Empty imports were reported to be a meagre 1146 TEU for the month.
The big containerised imports through Botany in September were: miscellaneous manufactured articles (up 10% to 18,335 TEU); machinery (up 12% 5o 18,142 TEU); and foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco (up 24% to 12,489 TEU).
Last month 82 containerships visited Port Botany. This was 20 more than in September 2020. A big increase was seen in the 5001-6000 TEU band. Twenty-three ships of that size visited in September, up from 17 last year. Also, 10 ships in the 2001-3000 TEU band visited the port last month, up from three last year.
In contrast with its container throughput, Port Botany’s non containerised trade saw a decline last month.
Total non-containerised throughput (including liquid, gas and break-bulk) last month came to 390,151 revenue tonnes, down 7% last month on September 2020.
A major decrease was seen in bulk liquids imports, down 32% to 253,594 revenue tonnes last month.
