A strong flow of recovery and reconstruction supplies through Hilo Harbor kept Young Brothers shipping totals on the rise at that port, even as other maritime entry points around the neighbor islands saw cargo volume slip 2.1 percent in the
A strong flow of recovery and reconstruction supplies through Hilo Harbor kept Young Brothers shipping totals on the rise at that port, even as other maritime entry points around the neighbor islands saw cargo volume slip 2.1 percent in the third quarter.
A report compiled by the shipping company, comparing its intrastate cargo volumes to the same quarter in the year previous, marked the first decrease since the winter of 2013. The report is considered a snapshot for how the neighbor island economies are faring.
Kawaihae volume dropped 4.6 percent. Hilo, with a 3.4 percent increase, and Lanai, which was up 20 percent, were the only two harbors to buck the downward trend for the July to September period. In the third quarter of 2014, cargo volume was down 4.2 percent at Kahului, Maui; down 6 percent at Nawiliwili, Kauai, and down 3.9 percent at Kaunakakai, Molokai.
Both Kawaihae and Hilo registered strong agricultural activity, however, with Kawaihae up 42.7 percent and Hilo up 9.5 percent. Kauai was up 13 percent. Maui was down 10 percent and Oahu was steady. In the first nine months of the year, the entire Big Island shipped out 3,447 containers or the equivalent of agricultural products, compared to 2,981 last year.
The increase in Big Island activity is because of more cattle being shipped out of Kawaihae, said Roy Catalani, vice president of Young Brothers.
“There has also been an increase in plants and trees going to landscape projects on Lanai,” he said. “Those numbers are being driven up this year, but we don’t know if they’ll stick around in the long term.”
The flow of electric, phone and cable infrastructure supplies increased through Hilo as Puna recovered from Tropical Storm Iselle. But food and beverage and recycling volumes were down, according to the report released Tuesday.
During the third quarter of 2013, cargo volume had increased 5 percent from the year previous, setting a bar Young Brothers knew would be tough to meet this year, Catalani said.
“Nonetheless, a two-point dip in cargo volume indicates some softening in neighbor island economies,” he said.
The report also measured activity in the first nine months of the year. During that time, Young Brothers shipped 99,497 containers or platform equivalents between neighbor island ports and Honolulu, up .6 percent from 98,885 in the first nine months of 2013. Declines at the majority of ports were offset by strong shipping in Hilo and Lanai.
Renewable energy products and petroleum were up during that time, but there were no clear trends in the construction sector, according to the report.
