Guam’s commercial seaport is the island’s main gateway for imported goods and a primary transshipment hub serving a population of more than 400,000. The Port Authority of Guam handled 86,000 containers in fiscal year 2023, while operating revenue reached $60.6 million. These Guam port statistics show how cargo mix, vessel activity, finances, and staffing changed across the fiscal years covered by the Port Authority’s reports.
Contents
- Why Guam’s port matters
- Container traffic and transshipment
- Breakbulk cargo in FY 2023
- Vessel berth and handling performance
- Revenue and operating costs
- Port staffing by department
Why Guam’s port matters
The Port Authority of Guam operates the only commercial seaport in Guam, according to the FY 2022 Annual Report. The same report describes the port as the primary transshipment hub for a population of more than 400,000. The Port Authority was established in October 1975, giving the institution a history that spans the fiscal-year comparisons below.
The port’s role is also visible in the island’s import dependence. The Port Authority of Guam Facts & Figures states that the Port Authority handles more than 90% of Guam’s total imports. The same source reports that the United States provides about 60% of Guam’s imported goods. Those figures describe the port’s strategic importance, although they do not identify the measurement year in the supplied source label.
The port offers weekly American-vessel service to the U.S. West Coast, according to the Port Authority of Guam Facts & Figures. This is a service description rather than a fiscal-year volume measure, so it should be read separately from the annual container and breakbulk totals.
An older operational snapshot comes from fiscal year 2008. During FY 2008, the port handled more than 2 million cargo revenue tons and 99,908 containers, according to the Port Authority of Guam Facts & Figures. These are legacy figures and are presented as reported by that source; the supplied record does not independently verify them or provide a comparable FY 2008 breakdown by local and transshipment containers.
Container traffic and transshipment
The FY 2023 Citizen Centric Report records 86,000 containers handled by the port. That total was 4% lower than FY 2022. The report also separates containers connected with local activity from full and empty transshipment movements, offering a more detailed view of the annual total.
| Fiscal year | Total reported containers | Local containers | Full transshipment | Empty transshipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2023 | 86,000 | 68,073 | 11,811 | 5,743 |
| FY 2022 | Not stated in supplied figures | 67,984 | 13,292 | 7,776 |
| FY 2021 | Not stated in supplied figures | 69,253 | 12,160 | 5,381 |
The container categories show that local containers were the largest reported segment in each of the three years. Local container count was 68,073 in FY 2023, compared with 67,984 in FY 2022 and 69,253 in FY 2021. The FY 2023 local count was therefore close to the FY 2022 level, while the supplied facts do not provide an official percentage change for this category.
Full transshipment containers totaled 11,811 in FY 2023. The corresponding count was 13,292 in FY 2022 and 12,160 in FY 2021. Empty transshipment containers totaled 5,743 in FY 2023, compared with 7,776 in FY 2022 and 5,381 in FY 2021.
The FY 2023 report’s 86,000-container total and its category counts should not be combined with the FY 2008 figure as though they were identical reporting series. The FY 2008 source reports 99,908 containers, but the supplied record does not explain whether the categories, definitions, or reporting conventions match the FY 2021–FY 2023 Citizen Centric Report.
The FY 2023 container result also needs to be kept distinct from breakbulk cargo. Containers are a unit count, while breakbulk is reported in tons. Neither measure alone describes all cargo handled by the port.
Breakbulk cargo in FY 2023
Breakbulk cargo totaled 215,000 tons in FY 2023, according to the FY 2023 Citizen Centric Report. The report says this was 73,000 tons more than in FY 2022 and a 52% year-over-year increase. The 73,000-ton increase and the 52% increase are both reported comparisons from the Port Authority; they are not recalculated here.
The report also identifies the sources of the increase by cargo type. Domestic breakbulk cargo rose by 25,000 tons in FY 2023, while foreign breakbulk cargo rose by 48,000 tons. Together, those reported increases account for the stated 73,000-ton rise from FY 2022.
| FY 2023 breakbulk measure | Reported result |
|---|---|
| Total breakbulk cargo | 215,000 tons |
| Increase from FY 2022 | 73,000 tons |
| Year-over-year change | 52% increase |
| Domestic breakbulk increase | 25,000 tons |
| Foreign breakbulk increase | 48,000 tons |
The domestic and foreign figures describe changes, not the full FY 2023 tonnage for each category. The supplied facts therefore support identifying which components contributed to growth, but not assigning a complete domestic-versus-foreign split to the 215,000-ton total.
This cargo mix also helps explain why port activity should be tracked through several measures. Container handling declined 4% from FY 2022 to FY 2023, while breakbulk volume increased by 52%. A container count and a tonnage measure capture different parts of the port’s workload and should not be treated as interchangeable indicators.
Vessel berth and handling performance
The FY 2023 Citizen Centric Report provides vessel-level operating measures for five cargo-vessel services. Cargo-vessel berth hours indicate the reported berth time for each service, while container-vessel net moves per hour indicate the reported handling rate.
| Service | Cargo-vessel berth hours | Container-vessel net moves per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Matson | 26 | 24 |
| APL | 24 | 25 |
| CTSI | 19 | 26 |
| MSA | 17 | 21 |
| Kyowa | 15 | 22 |
Matson recorded 26 cargo-vessel berth hours and 24 net moves per hour in FY 2023. APL recorded 24 berth hours and 25 net moves per hour. CTSI recorded 19 berth hours and the highest listed handling rate, at 26 net moves per hour. MSA recorded 17 berth hours and 21 net moves per hour, while Kyowa recorded 15 berth hours and 22 net moves per hour.
These figures should be read as service-specific reported measures for FY 2023. They do not establish an annual average for the entire port, and they do not show the number of vessel calls associated with each service. In particular, berth hours and net moves per hour measure different operational dimensions: time alongside the berth and container-handling pace.
Revenue and operating costs
The Port Authority’s financial figures show operating revenue rising across the fiscal years listed in the FY 2022 Annual Report. Operating revenue was $54.68 million in FY 2020, $55.06 million in FY 2021, and $57.7 million in FY 2022. The report also gives FY 2022 total operating revenue as $57.698 million, a more precise presentation of the same reported annual total.
The FY 2023 Citizen Centric Report lists operating revenue of $60.6 million, an increase of $2.9 million from FY 2022. It lists operating expenses of $62.2 million, an increase of $1.5 million from FY 2022. These FY 2023 amounts are presented in millions as reported by that source.
| Fiscal year | Operating revenue | Operating expenses |
|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $54.68 million | $55.69 million |
| FY 2021 | $55.06 million | $58.27 million |
| FY 2022 | $57.698 million | $60.70 million |
| FY 2023 | $60.6 million | $62.2 million |
The FY 2022 Annual Report provides a more detailed revenue breakdown. Cargo throughput charges were $35.976 million, equipment and space rental revenue was $9.553 million, crane surcharge revenue was $6.027 million, and wharfage charges were $6.018 million. Special services revenue was $92,000, and other operating income was $32,000. The report’s total operating revenue was $57.698 million.
The same annual report lists FY 2022 operating expenses of $60.70 million. Management and administration expenses were $15.09 million, operations expenses were $13.37 million, and general expenses were $9.54 million. Facility maintenance expenses were $2.19 million, retiree healthcare and other benefits were $7.96 million, equipment maintenance was $6.40 million, and depreciation was $6.14 million.
The FY 2022 Annual Report also records operating income before depreciation of $3.415 million, nonoperating revenues net of $15.016 million, capital contributions of $561,000, and an increase in net position of $12.578 million. These are distinct financial measures and should not be substituted for operating revenue or operating expenses.
Port staffing by department
The FY 2023 Citizen Centric Report lists 370 employees in FY 2023. Department totals were 151 in Administration and Finance, 83 in Safety and Security, 68 in Operations, 54 in Maintenance, and 14 in Engineering and Planning.
The report also gives comparable staffing totals for FY 2021 and FY 2022. Total staff was 362 in FY 2022 and 385 in FY 2021. Administration and Finance staff totaled 147 in FY 2022 and 161 in FY 2021. Safety and Security staff totaled 79 and 84, respectively; Operations totaled 69 and 73; Maintenance totaled 53 and 56; and Engineering and Planning totaled 14 and 11.
| Department | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administration and Finance | 161 | 147 | 151 |
| Safety and Security | 84 | 79 | 83 |
| Operations | 73 | 69 | 68 |
| Maintenance | 56 | 53 | 54 |
| Engineering and Planning | 11 | 14 | 14 |
| Total staff | 385 | 362 | 370 |
Administration and Finance was the largest listed department in all three fiscal years, reaching 151 employees in FY 2023. Safety and Security was the second-largest FY 2023 group at 83, followed by Operations at 68 and Maintenance at 54. Engineering and Planning had 14 employees in FY 2023.
The staffing totals show a reported increase from 362 employees in FY 2022 to 370 in FY 2023, while the FY 2021 total was higher at 385. Department counts also moved differently: Administration and Finance rose from 147 to 151 between FY 2022 and FY 2023, Safety and Security rose from 79 to 83, Operations declined from 69 to 68, Maintenance rose from 53 to 54, and Engineering and Planning stayed at 14.