Napier Port has reported higher containerised and bulk cargo volumes in the first quarter of the 2026 financial year, offset by a sharp decline in cruise vessel calls.
The NZX-listed port company says trade volumes for the three months ended December 31 increased 1.6% for containerised cargo and 2.6% for bulk cargo compared with the same period a year earlier, while cruise volumes fell 37.5%.
Total container volumes rose to 45,000 TEU, up from 44,000 TEU in the first quarter of 2025. Cargo-laden container volumes increased 1.4%, while empty and other container movements were up 1.8%.
Dry export cargo rose 5.9% to 13,000 TEU, driven mainly by higher timber exports. Refrigerated export cargo increased 4.9% compared with the same period last year.
Containerised imports increased 17.5% to 24,000 TEU, with the lift largely due to empty container imports, which rose 32.6% to 17,000 TEU.
Other container movements, including transhipped containers and depot-level repairs, fell to 2,000 TEU from 5,000 TEU, reflecting lower container repositioning activity. Container vessel calls increased to 64, up from 61 a year earlier.
Bulk cargo volumes totalled 0.94 million tonnes for the quarter, up 2.6% year-on-year.
Log exports increased 1.9% to 0.74 million tonnes, while other bulk exports rose by 24,000 tonnes, or 152%, to 39,000 tonnes, due to higher coastal fertiliser movements.
Bulk cargo imports declined by 14,000 tonnes, or 8%, to 159,000 tonnes, as increased fertiliser volumes partially offset lower oil products imports. Charter vessel calls increased to 66, from 63 in the same quarter last year.
Cruise activity was weaker, with 15 cruise vessel calls during the quarter, down from 24 a year earlier. However, the port says average cruise vessel size and passengers per vessel increased by between 15% and 20% compared with the same period last year.
Napier Port says it currently has confirmed calls and remaining bookings totalling 59 cruise vessels for the current cruise season.
