Twenty-year forecast of 4.8% annual box growth for Port of Melbourne
Containerised trade at the Port of Melbourne is projected to increase by 4.8% per year over the next 20 years to 6.4m teu in 2032/33, according to the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE). The volume of containerised exports and imports are both expected to grow at the same rate of 4.8% per year over the forecast period to about 3.2m teu each by 2032/33.
The main commodities shipped from the Port of Melbourne are cereal grains, paperboards / fibreboards; dairy products, fruit / vegetables; pulp / wastepaper; beverages; and miscellaneous manufactures. And the top five destinations the commodities are exported to are China, New Zealand, Japan, the US and Indonesia.
Primary imports through the Port of Melbourne are from China, the US, New Zealand, Thailand and Germany. They include miscellaneous manufactures; furniture; electrical equipment, clothing; and fruit / vegetables. The projection for non-containerised trade is for a 0.6% increase over the next 20 years, from 11.8m tonnes in 2012/13 to 13.2m tonnes in 2032/33.
The scheduled closure of domestic car manufacturing plants in Melbourne and Adelaide is expected to reduce motor vehicle exports through the Port of Melbourne. Motor vehicle exports currently account for 8.5% of total non-containerised exports through the port. Exports of commodities such as wheat, canola and barley are forecast to increase.
In 2012/13, total trade through the port declined by 2.3% in comparison to the previous year. In 2012/13, total trade through the port declined by 2.3% in comparison to the previous year. Exports accounted for 1.2m teu and imports 1.3m teu – a 2.8% and 2.4% decrease respectively.