UPDATED 1.10pm: The body of a Chinese deckhand who fell 10 metres overboard from a ship berthed at the Port of Tauranga has been recovered.

He fell into the harbour this morning.

Bay of Plenty District Command Centre spokesman Karl Konlechner says Navy divers found him on the harbour floor just after midday quite close to the ship.

He said it's too early to say how the man fell overboard.

"That's obviously a question for Worksafe New Zealand but also police will be conducting interviews of witnesses and doing our own inquiry as well on behalf of the coroner."

The ship the man fell off was the logging vessel the Mount Hikurangi.

He still has to be formally identified.