TOTAL trade through the Port of Newcastle slowed down slightly last month, according to the latest trade statistics from the port.
Total trade through the colossus of coal in June this year was 13.8 million mass tonnes. This was a decrease of 2%, or 248,700 tonnes, compared with June 2021.
Comparing the year-to-date totals for trade for June 2022 and the same month in 2021, we also see a decrease, from 79.3 million tonnes to 77.2 million tonnes – a decrease of 2.6%.
Drilling into the data a bit, we find that these decreases were driven in large part by a decrease in imports through the port. Last month a total of 337,300 tonnes were imported through Newcastle, a decrease of 34% on June 2022’s total imports of 512,500 tonnes.
And this decrease, in turn was driven largely by significant decreases in imports of fuels and fertilisers. Last month fuel import volumes totalled 113,600 tonnes – a decrease of 50% on the same month last year. Fertiliser decreased 69% to 22,900 tonnes.
These decreases were offset in part by an increase of alumina imports, up 95,900 tonnes to 102,000 tonnes in June this year.
Total exports from the Port of Newcastle decreased over the period, but by just a half a percent to 13.46 million tonnes.
Coal exports decreased by 1% to 13.06 million tonnes, but wheat exports increased by 63% to 29,500 tonnes in June 2022.
