February 2015

The Port of Newcastle achieves another record trade year

A record 164.3 million tonnes of trade was handled by the Port of Newcastle in 2014, marking another record trade year.

This was a 5.3% increase in port trade, which comprises more than 25 cargoes, on the previous year.

Coal exports comprised 159 million tonnes, reflecting increasing global demand for the region’s premium thermal and coking coal. Non coal trade (imports and exports) comprised almost 5.3 million tonnes in 2014.

Coal continues to be the port’s largest commodity, comprising 97% of trade throughput. Coal exports increased by 6% in 2014.

A new monthly coal export record of 15.8 million tonnes was achieved in December 2014, exceeding the previous record of 15.1 million tonnes set in December 2013.

Continuing cooperation between all members of the Hunter Valley Coal Chain, coupled with investment in port and rail infrastructure, will provide continued growth opportunities for the port’s coal export trade.

For non-coal cargo growth was recorded in: fuels (80.3%); fertiliser (25.7%); and alumina (1.3%). There was a significant decline in grain exports due to the drought.

Cargo	2013	2014	Variance
Alumina	1,048,636	1,062,453	1.3%
Aluminium	122,856	103,595	-15.7%
Coal	150,544,942	159,035,923	5.6%
Concentrates	442,734	479,514	8.3%
Fertiliser	353,309	444,224	25.7%
Fuels	649,974	1,171,700	80.3%
Tar and Pitch	253,802	272,592	7.4%
Meals & Grains	389,826	192,655	-50.6%
Petroleum Coke	204,503	211,751	3.5%
Steel	260,866	255,817	-1.9%
Wheat	891,837	356,241	-60.1%
Other Trade	959,423	737,243	-23.2%
Total Trade (Mass Tonnes)	156,122,708	164,323,708	5.3%