Hong Kong set a record in its container throughput in 2005 by handling 22.6 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units of containers), maintaining its status as the largest container port serving southern China and one of the busiest ports in the world.

Some 463 700 vessels arrived in and departed from Hong Kong during the year. These vessels carried 230 million tonnes of cargo and about 21 million passengers. Most of these passengers commuted on the world's largest fleet of high-speed ferries, including jetfoils and jet catamarans, to and from Macao and ports in the Mainland.

Hong Kong is a modern, well equipped deep-water port and, as the home of two different forms of maritime transport — the large ocean-going vessels from all parts of the world and the smaller, coastal and river trade vessels from the Pearl River — it is the focal point of all maritime trading activities in the region. On an average day there are around 110 ocean-going vessels working in the port; nearly 530 river trade vessels entering or leaving the port; and many river ferries and local craft working in or passing through the harbour. Ship turnaround performance is among the best in Asia: container ships at terminals are routinely turned around in 10 hours or less, and vessels working cargo at buoys take only one day on average.

A series of measures to enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong port and the maritime industry were proposed during the year. These included introduction of a multiple entry permit for river trade vessels to streamline port formality procedures and to reduce permit costs, reduced port fees and charges, provision of more service anchorages to increase mid-stream cargo handling capacity, and a six-month annual tonnage fee reduction for Hong Kong registered vessels. The measures will be implemented in early 2006 on completion of the necessary legislative procedures.