Pilbara Ports tops 800 million tonnes for another record trade year

in Port News 29/07/2026

Pilbara Ports has reported another record year of trade, reinforcing its position as the world’s largest bulk export port and its role in connecting the Pilbara to global markets.

In the 2025-26 financial year, Pilbara Ports handled a record 804.1 million tonnes of exports and imports across the Ports of Ashburton, Dampier, Port Hedland and Varanus Island. That result exceeded the previous record of 775.7 million tonnes set in 2024-25.

The latest figure marked the largest year-on-year increase in Pilbara Ports annual trade since 2017-18, underscoring how heavily the region’s export system depends on sustained throughput across several terminals rather than a single port alone.

Pilbara Ports said the result represented an estimated $150 billion in export value, highlighting its importance to the Western Australian and national economies.

Chief Executive Officer Samuel McSkimming said the milestone reflected the strength of the Pilbara’s export supply chains and the work of the people who keep them operating.

“Moving more than 800 million tonnes safely through our ports is a significant achievement,” Mr McSkimming said. “This result belongs to the people who keep our ports and export supply chains operating safely every day, and who bring teamwork and care to that task.

“It reflects disciplined execution, strong partnerships and the Pilbara’s capability to keep trade moving for customers around the world.

“Every safe vessel visit to one of our ports helps maintain global confidence in our supply chains and ensures customers can continue to access the resources they depend on.

“This achievement demonstrates the Pilbara’s importance to the Western Australian economy, while reinforcing the need for continued investment, reliable operations and future trade diversification across our ports.”

The Port of Port Hedland again made the largest contribution to the overall result, with throughput of 580.4 million tonnes in 2025-26.

Across all ports, iron ore exports rose 4% to 759.4 million tonnes. LNG totalled 26 million tonnes, while salt reached 5.3 million tonnes.

Pilbara Ports recorded 9,499 safe vessel visits during the year, up 9% from the previous financial year. That averaged 26 visits per day.

The port operator also invested more than $1.17 million in 76 local community organisations across the Pilbara, supporting projects focused on community wellbeing, education, safety and regional development.

2025-26 key results

• Total annual throughput: 804.1 million tonnes
• Port of Dampier throughput: 178.3 million tonnes
• Port of Port Hedland throughput: 580.4 million tonnes
• Port of Ashburton throughput: 45.2 million tonnes
• Total iron ore exports: 759.4 million tonnes
• Total LNG throughput: 26 million tonnes
• Total salt throughput: 5.3 million tonnes
• Safe vessel visits: 9,499, equal to 26 safe vessel visits each day
• Estimated export value of commodities: $150 billion

Source: Pilbara Ports tweet