Sampson, addressing his first annual meeting as chief executive after succeeding Mark Cairns, said the results demonstrated the impact of congestion over the past 12 months, with some cargo being shipped in the first quarter that would usually have occurred earlier.
Log volumes increased 2.4 per to 1.6m tonnes, while direct dairy exports rose 6.7 per cent in volume. Kiwifruit exports also showed strong, up 7.1 per cent on the corresponding quarter in 2021.
Ship visits increased 7.5 per cent to 360.
Container terminal productivity had improved significantly over the first quarter, Sampson said. However, there were still delays transferring some import cargo to Auckland.
"While we are still experiencing major disruption to the international supply chain, with the majority of container ships arriving off-window, we have been able to process more vessels and larger volumes of cargo compared with the same quarter last year."
"The near future remains uncertain due to the ongoing impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, including the effects of the extended lockdown in Auckland and labour shortages being experienced across multiple industries," he said.
Based on the first-quarter performance, and providing there were no significant market changes, full-year earnings were expected to be $103m-$110m.
