Trade performance
Summary of the Port of Melbourne’s trade performance in 2019-20
| Cargo type | Throughput 2019-20 | % change on 2018-19 |
|---|---|---|
| Total trade | 91.4 million revenue tonnes | -5.8% |
| Containers (TEU) | 2.88 million TEU | -4.6% |
| New motor vehicles | 3.6 million revenue tonnes (253,604 units) | -18.8% |
| Liquid bulk | 6.1 million revenue tonnes | -6.8% |
| Dry bulk | 4.1 million revenue tonnes | +1.8% |
| Breakbulk | 6.3 million revenue tonnes | -21.0% |
More detail for 2019-20
Total trade
Total trade
Total trade through the Port of Melbourne decreased by 5.8% over the previous financial year to 91.4 million revenue tonnes. Total imports decreased 5.7% to 52.7 million revenue tonnes and total exports decreased by 6.0% to 38.7 million revenue tonnes.
Overseas imports decreased 6.9% to 41.7 million revenue tonnes and overseas exports decreased by 7.0% to 28.7 million revenue tonnes.
Coastal imports decreased by 0.9% to 11.0 million revenue tonnes and coastal exports declined 3.2% to 10.1 million revenue tonnes.
Container trade
Total container throughput for the 2019-20 financial year was 2.88 million TEU. After exceeding three million TEU for the first time ever last financial year, the FY20 annual throughput represented a 4.6% decline from the 3.02 million TEU recorded in FY19. Full container imports were down 4.4% and full container exports declined 3.3%. Empty container movements decreased by 6.5% to 678,000 TEU.
New motor vehicles
New motor vehicle trade declined 18.8% in FY20 to 3.6 revenue million tonnes, which equated to 253,604 units. Imports decreased 19.4% and exports decreased 11.4%.
Liquid bulk
Liquid bulk declined 6.8% to 6.1 million revenue tonnes (5.0 million mass tonnes), with crude oil and petroleum product imports accounting for 84% of the total FY20 liquid bulk trade. A 10 week long maintenance shutdown of the Mobil Altona refinery in late 2019 and a reduction in demand for some petroleum products due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions were the main reason for the annual decline.
Dry bulk
Dry bulk trade was the only cargo type to record a positive result for FY20, increasing 1.8% over FY19 to 4.1 million revenue tonnes (4.1 million mass tonnes). The import sector was relatively stable, increasing just 0.7% to 4.0 million revenue tonnes, with volumes of cement, slag, fly ash and gypsum similar to FY19 levels. Exports increased 65.6% to 118,000 revenue tonnes due to increased shipments of wheat and barley as a result of a better FY20 winter grain harvest.