If I could give one piece of advice to anyone shipping to PNG for the first time, it would be this: decide where your cargo is actually going before you choose a port. PNG's two main container ports serve different regions, and they aren't joined by road.
This guide compares Port Moresby and Lae, shows which port serves which province, and explains what to do when cargo is bound for somewhere else entirely. It's part of our complete guide to shipping from Australia to PNG.
Key points
- Port Moresby isn't connected by road to Lae, PNG's second city, so the wrong port means another voyage or a flight.
- Lae handles almost half the cargo crossing PNG's wharves and is the gateway to the Highlands Highway.
- Port Moresby's Motukea International Terminal serves the capital and Central Province.
- Island provinces and remote coasts are served by regional ports, usually through transshipment.
- Book the port that serves the final destination, not the one with the cheapest freight rate.
Why the port choice matters
Mountain ranges divide mainland PNG, and the capital has no road connection to Lae or the Highlands. A container discharged in Port Moresby for a buyer in Lae can't simply be trucked across. It has to go back on a ship for a coastal voyage, or its contents have to be flown, with fresh handling, charges and delays either way.
According to Oxford Business Group, Lae serves five inland provinces and handles almost half of all cargo across PNG's wharves, while Port Moresby handles around a quarter and serves the capital and Central Province. In other words, the right port depends almost entirely on where the goods end up.
Port Moresby at a glance
Port Moresby's international container traffic moved from the old town wharf to Motukea International Terminal on Motukea Island in 2018. It's the only terminal in the capital that handles international containers, about 12 kilometres from the CBD, and it's operated by a subsidiary of the global port operator ICTSI. Government, retail, construction and household cargo for the capital all arrives here, which is why sea freight to Port Moresby is the default route for National Capital District consignees.
For more on arrivals, storage and collection, see our guide to Motukea International Terminal.
Lae at a glance
Lae's South Pacific International Container Terminal, in the Lae Tidal Basin, is PNG's largest container port and is also operated by an ICTSI subsidiary. Lae sits at the start of the Highlands Highway, the road that carries freight up to Goroka, Mount Hagen and the provinces beyond, including the mines and agricultural districts that depend on it. Shipping lines also use Lae as a transshipment hub for other Pacific destinations.
Most Brisbane services connect with both ports. ANL, for example, links Australian ports with Lae and Port Moresby, and Swire Shipping runs services between Australia, Solomon Islands and PNG. If your buyer is in Morobe or the Highlands, shipping from Brisbane to PNG with Lae as the discharge port is usually the most direct path.
Which port serves which province
| Final destination | Usual port | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Port Moresby (National Capital District), Central Province | Port Moresby (Motukea) | No road link to the north coast or Highlands |
| Morobe (Lae and surrounds) | Lae | PNG's largest container port |
| Eastern Highlands, Simbu, Jiwaka, Western Highlands, Enga, Southern Highlands, Hela | Lae | Onward by road on the Highlands Highway |
| Madang | Madang or Lae | Madang has its own port and a road link to Lae |
| East Sepik and Sandaun | Wewak, Vanimo or Aitape | Usually via transshipment |
| Milne Bay | Alotau | Usually via transshipment |
| Oro | Oro Bay | Usually via transshipment |
| East and West New Britain | Rabaul or Kimbe | Some direct calls; otherwise transshipment |
| New Ireland, Manus, Bougainville | Kavieng, Lorengau, Buka or Kieta | Usually via transshipment |
| Western Province | Daru, or river transport for inland sites | Specialised arrangements are common |
For anything beyond Port Moresby and Lae, see our guide to shipping to PNG regional ports, islands and the Highlands.
When cargo is going to more than one place
Some shipments serve customers in both the capital and the Highlands. In that case it's usually cheaper and quicker to split the cargo at origin into two consignments, each booked to the right port, than to land everything in one city and reship part of it. Splitting also gives each consignee their own documents, which makes clearance simpler.
Where splitting isn't practical, compare the cost of a coastal voyage from one port to the other against the cost of booking two separate shipments from Australia. Our guide to what shipping to PNG costs explains the cost components to include.
A pre-booking checklist
- Confirm the exact delivery address and province with the buyer, not just "PNG".
- Choose the port that serves that address by road, or confirm the onward transport if it doesn't.
- Check the routing your forwarder proposes: direct sailing or transshipment.
- Make sure the bill of lading shows the correct port of discharge and final destination.
- Tell the PNG consignee which port to expect, so their broker and trucking are ready there.
Changing the port after sailing
Some shipping lines will change the port of discharge after a container has sailed, but it isn't always possible and there's usually a fee. Getting the port right at booking is far cheaper.
Frequently asked questions
Is shipping to Lae or Port Moresby cheaper?
Rates on direct services are often similar. The real difference is the cost of getting cargo from the port to its final destination, which is why the destination should decide the port.
Is there really no road from Port Moresby to Lae?
That's right. The capital isn't connected by road to Lae or the Highlands. Cargo moves between them by sea or air.
Which port should I use for a mine site in the Highlands?
Lae. Highlands mines and projects are supplied through Lae and the Highlands Highway, with heavy and oversized loads moved by specialist road transport.
Part of our complete guide
This article is one step in Shipping from Australia to PNG: The Complete Guide. Other guides in the "planning and choosing an option" stage:
This guide is general information, current at the date of last review. Rates, schedules, duty rates and procedures change, so confirm the details of your shipment with a licensed freight forwarder or customs broker before you act.