Container throughput at the Port of Melbourne totalled 267,000 TEUs in March 2025, reflecting a year-on-year (YoY) decline of 6.2 per cent compared to March 2024.
Full imports (excluding Bass Strait) at the Port of Melbourne stood at 99,000 TEUs, down 10.5 per cent YoY, while full exports declined 6.2 per cent to 62,000 TEUs.
Empty container volumes also dropped significantly, down 12.8 per cent to 68,000 TEUs.
Bass Strait volumes softened slightly to 17,000 TEU (down 6.2 per cent), while full transshipments grew substantially, rising 58.5 per cent YoY to reach 21,000 TEUs.
Looking at the financial year to date (FYTD), total container trade reached 2.55 million TEUs, a 5 per cent increase or 120,500 TEUs more than the same period in FY24.
Imports and exports (excluding Bass Strait) rose 4.3 per cent and 7.8 per cent respectively, while full transshipment surged nearly 20 per cent, indicating stronger underlying trends despite the March dip.
In 2024, the port handled 3.396 million TEUs, a more than 9 per cent increase over 2023 levels and its biggest yearly container trade volume ever. The port noted that its high container commerce in 2024 was driven by a rise in import trade, notably consumer products like furniture.