Posted on February 18, 2026
January’s 67.9 million tonnes of throughput for Pilbara Ports has set a new record for Western Australian ports.
In a statement released on February 16, Pilbara Ports says the January 2026 results are up 12 per cent increase compared to January 2025.
The rise in throughput has been attributed to a series of targeted operational changes implemented at the Port of Port Hedland in recent months, including revised vessel movement guidelines for ebb-tide departures that created sailing opportunities for an additional 10 large vessels.
Another element was improvements to Dynamic Under Keel Clearance (DUKC) that enabled vessels to utilise available sailing windows, safely maximise cargo carriage and contribute to increased overall shipping volumes.
The Port of Port Hedland achieved a monthly throughput of 50Mt, of which 49.2Mt was iron ore exports. It represents a seven per cent increase of total throughput compared to January 2025.
Imports through the Port of Port Hedland totalled 220,000 tonnes, an increase of 60 per cent compared to January 2025.
The Port of Dampier delivered a total throughput of 14.1Mt, a 19 per cent increase from January 2025.
Imports through the Port of Dampier totalled 122,000 tonnes, an increase of 6 per cent from January 2025.
“Several factors influence the fluctuation of throughput, including changes in market conditions, port maintenance operations and proponent needs,” the statement said.
For more statistics from Pilbara Ports see Port Statistics & Reports.
