TASPORTS says Tasmania’s trade performance demonstrated resilience in 2025-26, with total freight volume broadly stable at 14.28 million tonnes while container numbers increased by 3.7%.
The state’s ports operated “against a challenging operating environment, characterised by subdued economic growth, persistent domestic cost and financing pressures, geopolitical fragmentation and heightened uncertainty across global trade and supply chains,” the GBE said.
“Viewed collectively, these results reflect adaptation rather than broad-based growth, with gains in forestry, fertiliser and containerised cargo offsetting weaker volumes for commodities like industrial freight.
“The results also highlight the capacity of Tasmania’s freight and logistics system to respond to a changing cargo mix, and the importance of flexible and efficient links between the state’s port, road and rail networks to successfully enable trade.”
TasPorts says containerised freight continued to grow its share of the total freight task in FY26. Container activity was up 3.7% to 635,542 TEU and the state achieved something of box trade miracle: balanced volumes.
Imports rose 4.6% to 323,161, or 50.8% of total TEU, dominated by general cargo and empty containers which accounted for almost 80%. Exports grew by 2.7% (312,381) or 49.2% of total TEU. Export growth was supported by a relatively narrow group of growing commodities, helping offset declines in dairy, timber, zinc and paper products.
Looking at total throughput, by weight, containerised freight increased by 2% (about 116,000 tonnes), to 5.95 million tonnes. This represented 41.6% of total tonnage, up from 40.8% in FY25.
In other highlights forestry was the fastest grower, increasing by 7.3% (255,000 tonnes) to 3.74 million tonnes, while its share of volume rose from 24.4% to 26.2%; this comprised 3.1 million tonnes of woodchips and 600,000 tonnes of logs.
Industrial freight recorded the largest decline of all commodities, falling by 15.1% (494,000 tonnes) to 2.78 million tonnes. The statewide share of tonnage fell from 22.9% to 19.5%, marking the most consequential change in the statewide freight mix.
TasPorts says this decline is reflective of broader market challenges impacting the industrial sector in Tasmania.
Total fertiliser tonnage increased by 56%, from 225,700 to 352,100 tonnes. This represented an additional 126,400 tonnes, elevating fertiliser to 2.5% of overall freight tonnage. This growth was consistent with broader demand in southern Australia, linked to favourable rainfall and increased winter planting.
Fuel volumes rose 3.6% (30,900 tonnes) to 886,176. This accounted for 6.2% of total tonnage. This modest positive increase helped with overall throughput, TasPorts says.
National trends were reflected in Tasmania’s cruise season, although the state continued to attract strong visitation from long-term and committed cruise brands. TasPorts facilitated 97 cruise ship calls, welcoming 164,021 passengers and more than 77,000 crew across the state’s ports during FY26.
While 11 scheduled visits were cancelled due to weather or mechanical issues, the overall softening in cruise calls was largely driven by those broader market conditions outside Tasmania’s control, the GBE said.