Pilbara Ports recorded a total throughput of 65.9 million tonnes in August 2026, with the Port of Port Hedland accounting for 47.4Mt of that figure, sources indicated on 13 September 2026. Of Port Hedland’s throughput, 46.6Mt were iron ore exports, a rise of five per cent compared with August 2025.
The figures underline the dominance of iron ore in Port Hedland’s activity: iron ore made up the vast majority of the port’s August throughput. Pilbara Ports supplied the monthly totals but the report did not provide a percentage change for the consolidated 65.9Mt compared with the same month in 2025.
Key figures from the report include:
- Pilbara Ports total monthly throughput (August 2026): 65.9Mt.
- Port of Port Hedland monthly throughput: 47.4Mt.
- Port Hedland iron ore exports: 46.6Mt, up 5 per cent on August 2025.
Throughput breakdown
Port Hedland carried nearly the entirety of its throughput as iron ore in August. Iron ore accounted for roughly 98 per cent of the port’s throughput when comparing 46.6Mt of iron ore exports with the 47.4Mt total handled at Port Hedland.
Pilbara Ports’ consolidated figure of 65.9Mt covers the system as a whole and indicates substantial bulk activity across the Pilbara region. The report did not specify a year-on-year percentage for the consolidated total, leaving the trend for system-wide throughput less clearly defined in the published item.
Port Hedland’s export performance
The five per cent increase in iron ore exports at Port Hedland versus August 2025 is the clearest year-on-year change given in the report. That gain was recorded against the 46.6Mt exported in August 2026 and was presented by reports as part of the monthly account supplied by Pilbara Ports.
The concentration of exports through Port Hedland highlights its role within the Pilbara network for bulk commodity shipments. The figures published show the port continuing to move large volumes of iron ore, reflecting the cargo mix reported for the month.
What the numbers show
Taken together, the numbers point to a heavy weighting of Pilbara throughput towards Port Hedland and, within that, towards iron ore. The consolidated 65.9Mt monthly total and the 47.4Mt handled at Port Hedland confirm the port’s scale within the region’s export system.
Pilbara Ports’ monthly statement, as summarised by reports on 13 September 2026, supplies the raw throughput measures without further commentary in the supplied notes. The published figures provide a snapshot of August activity but do not contain additional operational detail or explanatory commentary in the supplied summary.
The Port of Port Hedland remains central to Western Australia’s bulk export logistics, with iron ore constituting the vast share of its recorded throughput for the month of August 2026.