Western Australia’s Pilbara Ports handled a record 804.1m tonnes of exports and imports in the 2025-26 financial year ended 30 June 2026, crossing the 800m-tonne threshold for the first time, according to Pilbara Ports.
The result surpassed the previous record of 775.7m tonnes in 2024-25 and represented the authority’s largest year-on-year increase since 2017-18. The estimated value of exported commodities was A$150bn ($104.3bn).
Port Hedland accounted for 580.4m tonnes, while Dampier handled 178.3m tonnes and Ashburton recorded 45.2m tonnes. The total also included cargo moving through Varanus Island.
Iron ore exports across the four ports increased 4% to 759.4m tonnes. LNG throughput reached 26m tonnes and salt volumes totalled 5.3m tonnes.
Pilbara Ports recorded 9,499 safe vessel visits during the year, an increase of 9% from 2024-25 and an average of 26 visits per day.
“Moving more than 800 million tonnes safely through our ports is a significant achievement,” chief executive Samuel McSkimming said.
McSkimming said the performance reflected the strength of the Pilbara’s export supply chains and highlighted the need for continued investment, reliable operations and future trade diversification.
The authority invested more than A$1.17m ($813,000) in 76 community organisations across the Pilbara, supporting education, safety, regional development and community wellbeing projects.
The latest result followed annual throughput of 758.3m tonnes in 2023-24 and 775.7m tonnes in 2024-25.
Pilbara Ports is a Western Australian Government Trading Enterprise governed under the Port Authorities Act 1999. It was established on 1 July 2014 through the merger of the former Dampier and Port Hedland port authorities.