XN000022-1995-10-27 — Page 13

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Statistics on ocean vessel and seaborne cargo

In the second quarter of 1995, 10,582 ocean vessels with a total capacity of 43.4 million net registered tons (being a unit of measure in volume terms of the space of a vessel available for carrying passengers or goods: one net registered ton equals 100 cubic feet) arrived at Hong Kong.

This information is contained in the report entitled Hong Kong Shipping Statistics, April June 1995 published today (Friday) by the Census and Statistics Department.

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The figures reflected an increase of 14% in number of vessels and 5% in capacity over the second quarter of 1994.

During the same period, there were 10,627 outgoing ocean vessels with a total capacity of 43.6 million net registered tons, representing an increase of 13% in number and 7% in capacity over the second quarter of 1994.

In the second quarter of 1995, the total tonnage of seaborne inward cargo comprising seaborne imports and seaborne inward transhipment was estimated to be 23.8 million tonnes, representing an increase of 14% over the same quarter in 1994.

During the same period, the total tonnage of seaborne outward cargo comprising seaborne exports (domestic exports plus re-exports) and seaborne outward transhipment was estimated to be 10.4 million tonnes, representing an increase of 20%.

Of the seaborne inward cargo, 82% in terms of tonnage were seaborne imports and 18% were seaborne inward transhipment. 53% of these cargoes were containerised.

Of the seaborne outward cargo, 57% in terms of tonnage were seaborne exports (domestic exports plus re-exports) and 43% were seaborne outward transhipment. 88% of them were containerised cargo.

The above statistics are summarised in Table 1.

In the second quarter of 1995, the top five countries of loading for seaborne inward cargo (comprising seaborne imports and seaborne inward transhipment) were Singapore (which accounted for 16% in tonnage terms), China (13%), Japan (13%), Taiwan (9%) and the USA (9%).