MELBOURNE suffered a 7.7 per cent year-on-year decrease in November to 243,213 TEU, reported Australia's Daily Cargo News.

Full container imports (excluding Bass Strait) volumes in November 2023 were 8.6 per cent against the same month in the previous year.

Furniture, metal manufactures, domestic appliances and non-electrical machinery imports were all below 2022 volumes.

Full container exports (excluding Bass Strait) volumes were down 2.3 per cent against November 2022, with wheat, hay, chaff and fodder and pulp and wastepaper below the previous year's volumes.

Total empty container movements were also down in November 2023 against the prior year's volumes.

Full Bass Strait trade volumes decreased by two per cent and full transshipments increased 2.9 per cent.

And in the non-container trades, motor vehicle movements decreased nine per cent, the dry bulk trade decreased 11.6 per cent, liquid bulk was up 17.3 per cent and break bulk was up 0.6 per cent.