Port records fall amid more iron ore exports

The CEO of Geraldton Port says iron ore from mid-west Western Australia is helping the port to break export records.

In the past 12 months, 15.4 million tonnes of product was exported from Geraldton.

Of that, almost 11 million tonnes, or about 70 per cent, was iron ore.

Peter Klein says thanks to the commodity, total trade through the port was up on last financial year by about five million tonnes.

"So that 15.4 million tonnes that we achieved this year is five million tonnes more than we did the year before and that's predominantly as a result of Mount Gibson and Karara Mining and their increasing iron ore exports," he said.

He says it is likely the next 12 months will produce more modest figures.

"I don't think that we're going to see the kind of growth that we might have seen over the last 12 months," he said.

"Trade has jumped up 48 per cent. I think we'll ... grow perhaps a little bit.

"We'll also see some upside potentially for mineral sands and from some of our concentrate as well."

A total of 429 vessels have berthed at the port in the past 12 months - 383 docked the previous financial year.

Meanwhile, the Esperance Port has had a record 12 months, with iron ore exports increasing 25 per cent.