# Port Lyttelton (NZ LYT)

**UN/LOCODE:** NZ LYT  
**Country:** New Zealand  
**Water Body:** South Pacific Ocean  
**Harbor Size:** Large  
**Harbor Type:** Coastal (Breakwater)  
**GPS:** -43.6000, 172.7167

Four container berths and some 580 metres of crane rail make up the working terminal at Lyttelton (NZ LYT), the largest container port in New Zealand's South Island and the sea access for Christchurch and Canterbury, which handled about 432,000 TEU in financial year 2025, down 3.7%. The Eastern Development Project completed in 2023 lifted capacity to roughly 620,000 TEU. Lyttelton Port Company (LPC) is now investing NZ$821 million in the Te Awaparahi Bay expansion: a 388-metre deepwater wharf, a five-hectare container terminal, four new ship-to-shore cranes and semi-automated gantry yard cranes. Due for completion in 2031, the scheme should take annual capacity to around 850,000 TEU and allow calls by vessels of up to 15,000 TEU. The port also runs the country's largest coal export facility, with a stockpile of up to 335,000 tonnes; coal shipments fell about a third in FY2025 to around 369,000 tonnes. Alongside boxes and coal it handles bulk cargo, motor vehicles, breakbulk and cruise calls, and more than NZ$7.5 billion of exports crossed its quays in FY2025. Road and rail serve the Christchurch hinterland, including dedicated coal trains. Imports require a New Zealand Customs entry plus MPI biosecurity clearance, which is strict on timber, food and packaging. Regional alternatives include PrimePort Timaru and Port Chalmers (Port Otago) near Dunedin.

## Transit Times & Routes

- [Auckland → Shanghai](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/auckland-shanghai)
- [Auckland → Shenzhen](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/auckland-shenzhen)
- [Auckland → Guangzhou](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/auckland-guangzhou)
- [Auckland → Hong Kong](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/auckland-hong-kong)
- [Auckland → Tokyo](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/auckland-tokyo)
- [Auckland → Busan](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/auckland-busan)

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*Freight Academy — Seaport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/port-lyttelton-port-nz-lyt](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/port-lyttelton-port-nz-lyt)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/port-lyttelton-port-nz-lyt](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/port-lyttelton-port-nz-lyt)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/seaports/port-lyttelton-port-nz-lyt/llm-summary?lang=en*