The Port of Melbourne handled a total of 275,459 TEU in December, registering a container throughput growth of 4% compared to the previous year.
Total container imports rose by 3.4% year-on-year in December, with paperboards, clothing and raw plastics marking increases, while total exports grew 4.5% over December 2020, underpinned by milk, hay, chaff and fodder, scrap metal and wine.
In addition, total empty container movements in the Australian port increased by 11.1% over December 2020, completing 77,303 TEU, with year-to-date volumes up by 9.3%.
Regarding the full overseas container imports and exports, Port of Melbourne saw increases of 0.7% and 8.3% respectively in December 2021.
Meanwhile, full container transhipments in the Port of Melbourne dropped 3% over December 2020. During the January-December period, there was a decrease of 14.3% year-on-year.
This performance was achieved in a time where Australian ports continue to see shipping lines revising schedules and advising of port omissions, according to the port’s announcement.
“With the outbreak of the Omicron variant impacting labour allocations throughout the terminals due to required isolation periods, delays and congestion continue to place strain on the supply chain,” explained a port official.
