Tasmania's trade sector shows resilience
Tasmania's ports handled 14.3 million tonnes in FY2025, demonstrating the resilience of the island's diversified economy.
Posted
12 September 2025
Tasmania's ports handled 14.3 million tonnes in FY2025, demonstrating the resilience of the island's diversified economy.
Posted
12 September 2025
Tasmania's freight trade demonstrated strong resilience in FY2025, with the state's ports handling 14.3 million tonnes of cargo (a 0.6% increase on FY2024), highlighting the strength of the island's diversified economy.
The standout performance came from Tasmania's agricultural sector, with vegetable exports surging by 16%, while dairy products jumped 17%.
Key commodities through the primary ports of Bell Bay, Burnie, Devonport and Hobart include the importation of consumer goods and fuel; and the export of forestry, mining and industrial commodities.
The Port of Burnie was a volume leader, with a market share of 33.8% (4.83 million tonnes). The Port handled a diverse cargo mix including forestry, general cargo and minerals. Volumes were marginally down 3.4% on the prior year.
The Port of Devonport continued to maintain the island's twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) market share of 48.9% (299,599 TEU). Devonport remained Tasmania's primary gateway for containerised goods and fuel imports.
The Port of Bell Bay remained Tasmania's key facilitator for forestry exports. Overall, the Port transited over 3.5 million tonnes, and TEU increased 25.1%. Volumes were up 6.6% on FY2024, with stronger export logs.
The Port of Hobart saw a 5.9% increase in tonnage throughput. This was largely driven by the Fertiliser sector and increased export logs through the Southern Export Terminal. The Port continued to play an important role as Australia's home port for Antarctic exploration and scientific research.
The Forestry industry maintained positive momentum with 9.8% growth, reinforcing Tasmania's position as a premium timber exporter.
The Fertiliser sector delivered strong growth of 81.1%, with volumes increasing from 124,636 tonnes to 225,697 tonnes. This surge positioned Tasmania as an increasingly important fertiliser distribution hub for Australian agriculture.
Container imports reached 309,048 TEU, representing a 2.1% increase statewide.
Tasmania experienced its second-largest cruise season on record in 2024-25, with 131 ship visits across Hobart, Burnie and regional ports. The Port of Hobart had its strongest season ever, welcoming 87 cruise ships. Despite this success, statewide cruise passenger numbers dropped 8% compared to the previous financial year. This decline reflected broader industry challenges including modified itineraries, global fleet repositioning, and geopolitical disruptions.
Regional ports remained vital to Tasmania's cruise industry, hosting one-third of all visits. Burnie welcomed 14 ships while Port Arthur received 17 calls, demonstrating the continued appeal of Tasmania's diverse coastal destinations.
Tasmania's trade profile demonstrated both resilience and successful diversification, with agricultural and forestry sectors driving growth while the state adapted to changing global trade conditions.