TasPorts Trade Report FY23 released

As an island state, Tasmania is almost wholly reliant upon maritime trade to sustain its communities and economy.

TasPorts operates a network of 11 ports strategically located around the State. With a diversity of locations and operations, TasPorts has a proud history of facilitating Tasmania’s existing and emerging industries through its operations, services and infrastructure.

Trade Report summary

Total freight volumes for Tasmania remain steady, underpinning a strong economy. Total freight volumes for FY23 were 14.513m tonnes, representing a 2.7% decrease against the previous period, due in part to reduced mineral exports as a result of market volatility.

Trade volume increases are to be noted in containerised and general cargo, including retail and fast-moving consumer goods. Volumes have softened during Q4 (April to June) due to pressures on household budgets through interest rate increases and cost of living pressures appearing to impact retail spending.

It is also to be noted that Q4 (April to June) is traditionally an off-peak period for Bass Strait trade volumes.

General cargo and empty containers account for 38.6% and 26.7% respectively of TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units). This represents 65.3% of the total container trade across Bass Strait. The mix of trade in containers across Bass Strait is highly influenced by general cargo imports, or retail sales, and large-scale manufacturing exports, food and industrial-related production volumes.

Total FY23 vessel visits increased by 3% to 2,626. This increase is largely due to the resumption of cruise ship visits following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend is likely to continue.

View the latest Trade Report.

TasPorts’ multi-port network: connecting Tasmania to the world.