The Port of Melbourne has recorded its second consecutive year of record container trade, handling 3.52 million TEUs in financial year 2025-26, according to its latest Trade in Review report.
The result strengthens Melbourne’s position as Australia’s largest container port and highlights continued resilience in trade across southeastern Australia. The latest volume was higher than the 3.39 million TEUs handled in FY25, when the port also set a financial-year record.
Port of Melbourne said trade patterns shifted during FY26, with growth increasingly supported by industrial and construction-related imports alongside continued demand for consumer goods. Cement and gypsum were among the stronger-performing commodities during the year.
Export activity also remained diversified. Agricultural products continued to underpin outbound trade, while beef, paper and paperboard, and scrap metal recorded strong growth, helping offset weaker volumes in commodities including cotton and wheat.
The automotive sector also reflected changing global supply chains. China became the largest source of imported motor vehicles through Melbourne for the first time in FY26, overtaking Japan. China accounted for 28% of vehicle imports through the port, compared with just 1% in FY20.
The port said its trade performance remained resilient despite global disruptions, including changes in US tariff policies and supply-chain impacts linked to instability around the Strait of Hormuz. Diversified export markets helped maintain trade flows during the period.
The latest figures follow a record calendar year in 2025, when the port handled approximately 3.5 million TEUs, its second consecutive calendar-year record. Trade momentum has continued into 2026, with container volumes also increasing during the first months of the year.
The sustained growth is expected to reinforce the need for continued investment in port infrastructure, landside connectivity and supply-chain capacity as Melbourne handles rising container volumes and evolving trade flows.