Total port cargo throughput rose to 243 million tonnes in 2009, from 221 million tonnes in 2004, representing an average annual growth rate of 1.9%, the Census & Statistics Department says.

According to the latest issue of the HK Monthly Digest of Statistics, the average annual growth rate of transhipment cargo between 2004 and 2009 was 4.5% while that of direct shipment cargo was -0.5%. The share of transhipment cargo in total port cargo rose from 46.6% in 2004 to 52.7% in 2009.

Transhipment cargo movements accounted for a significant share of the port cargo movements between Hong Kong and major countries/territories of loading/discharge, for example the US (61.4%), Taiwan (57.9%), Japan (52.1%), and the Mainland (51.9%) in 2009.