Napier Port is reporting a third-quarter drop in container and bulk cargo across its wharves as a result of COVID-19 disruptions.
Total container volumes were down 17.4% to 74,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) from 90,000 TEU in the same quarter a year ago.
Export containers were down 15% to 39,000 TEU and import containers were down 21.4% to 34,000 TEU.
Dry export cargo that was classified as ‘non-essential’ (and ceased to enter the port during the COVID-19 alert level 4), such as wood pulp and timber, wool, and paper products, was down 28.6% in the quarter. Canned food and other food and beverage volumes were also lower.
Reefer export cargo such as apples, meat and other chilled produce were less impacted as they were categorised as ‘essential cargo’ and continued to ship during the lockdown period. Apple and pear volumes were down 7.2% from 17,000 TEU in the same quarter a year ago.
Container vessel calls were down to 76 ships from 82 ships in the same quarter last year.
Bulk Cargo total volume of 0.6 million tonnes was down 24.2% from the same quarter the previous year.
Log export volumes were down 31.4% due to the halt of harvesting in alert level 4. For the nine-month period to June, log export volumes were down by 14.3% compared to the same period a year ago.
Charter vessel calls were 70 compared to 74 in the same period a year ago.
Chief executive Todd Dawson says the third quarter results show a real impact of the COVID-19 alert level 4 lockdown.
“With the gradual lifting of restrictions from the end of that month we began to see a recovery in cargo flows.
“While we have seen a steady ramp up in production in key export trades, volumes remain lower than the prior comparative period with global economic uncertainty in the wake of the pandemic.
“We continue to engage with cargo owners to understand how COVID-19 trading conditions are affecting them and the expected outlook to cargo volumes through Napier Port,” Dawson says.
Napier Port will provide another market update in August along with a full year earnings guidance.
