HONG KONG -- In the second quarter of 2011, Hong Kong's total port cargo throughput increased by 9 percent over a year earlier to 73.4 million tons, the city's Census and Statistics Department announced on Sept 6.

Within this total, inward and outward port cargo rose by 8 percent and 11 percent to 42.5 million tons and 30.9 million tons respectively, the department said on Sept 6, when releasing statistics on port cargo, vessels and containers for the second quarter of 2011.

For the first half of 2011, total port cargo throughput increased by 5 percent over a year earlier to 136.1 million tons. Within this total, inward and outward port cargo rose by 4 percent and 5 percent to 78.4 million tons and 57.7 million tons respectively.

On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput increased by 10 percent in the second quarter of 2011. Within this total, inward and outward port cargo went up by 11 percent and 8 percent respectively.

As for containers, in the second quarter of 2011, the port of Hong Kong handled 6.4 million TEUs of containers, up 7 percent over a year earlier.

In the first half of 2011, the port of Hong Kong handled 11.9 million TEUs of containers, up 4 percent over the same period in 2010.

On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, laden container throughput increased by 8 percent in the second quarter of 2011. Within this total, inward and outward laden containers rose by 11 percent and 5 percent respectively.

In the second quarter of 2011, the number of ocean vessel arrivals increased by 1 percent over a year earlier to 8,090, with the total capacity also increasing by 6 percent to 104.4 million net registered tons.

Over the same period, the number of river vessel arrivals decreased by 1 percent over a year earlier to 43,880, with the total capacity increasing by 5 percent to 28.3 million net registered tons.

In the first half of 2011, the number of ocean vessel arrivals increased by 1 percent over a year earlier to 16,120, with the total capacity also increasing by 8 percent to 206.5 million net registered tons.

Over the same period, the number of river vessel arrivals decreased by 1 percent over a year earlier to 87,050, with the total capacity increasing by 3 percent to 54.3 million net registered tons.