Port of Melbourne container volumes surge

Australia: Total container trade through the Port of Melbourne set a new national record in October, handling over 214,000TEU for the month.

Overall trade through the port also reached a new high, handling a record 7.28 million revenue tonnes, increasing 7.6 percent over October last year and up 11.7 percent for the financial year to date.

Containers ere the strongest contributor to the trade surge with October throughput up 10.4 percent on the same period last year, comfortably surpassing the previous highest monthly volume of 210,985TEU recorded in August.

The new national monthly record represents the first time an Australian port has handled the equivalent of 7,000TEU a day on average for a monthly reporting period.

For the financial year to date, the Port of Melbourne Corporation's (PoMC) core container trade is up 11.9 percent, handling a total volume of 2.324 million TEU in the 12 months to October 31.

Full container imports for October increased 8.7 percent on the same period last year, up 8.6 percent for the year to date.