Hong Kong set a record in its container throughput in 2004 by handling 22 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units of containers), making it the world's busiest container port for the 12th time in the past 13 years.

Being the busiest container port in the world, Hong Kong spares no effort to fulfill its obligation concerning maritime safety required by international conventions. Hong Kong implemented the Merchant Shipping (Security of Ships and Port Facilities) Ordinance on July 1 to comply with the new maritime security requirements set under the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code adopted by the International Maritime Organisation.

About 450 760 vessels arrived in and departed from Hong Kong during the year. These vessels carried 221 million tonnes of cargo and about 20 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.

Being the junction of two different forms of maritime transport — the large ocean-going vessels from the Pacific Ocean and the smaller, coastal and river trade craft from the Pearl River — Hong Kong is a modern, well equipped deep-water harbour and the focal point of all maritime trading activities in southern China.

On an average day there are around 100 ocean-going ships working in the port; nearly 530 river trade craft 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 terminal berths are routinely turned around 10 hours or less, while vessels working cargo at buoys are in port for only 1.2 days on average.