Hong Kong's total port cargo throughput increased by 4 percent over a year earlier to 70.8 million tons in the third quarter of 2011, according to the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) on Tuesday.

    C&SD released statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the third quarter of 2011. Total port cargo throughput increased by 4 percent over a year earlier to 70.8 million tons. Within this total, inward and outward port cargo rose by 4r percent and 6 percent to 40.4 million tons and 30.4 million tons respectively.

    In the third quarter of 2011, the port of Hong Kong handled 6.4 million TEUs of containers, representing an increase of 2 percent over a year earlier. Within this total, laden containers increased by 4 percent to 5.4 million TEUs, while empty containers decreased by 5 percent to one million TEUs.

    The number of ocean vessel arrivals recorded virtually no change over a year earlier at 8,260, with the total capacity increasing by 3 percent to 108.9 million net registered tons.

    Over the same period, the number of river vessel arrivals decreased by 6 percent to 42,850, with the total capacity also decreasing by 6 percent to 26.9 million net registered tons.

(Source:xinhuanet.com)