China’s ports registered stable growth in cargo throughput last year despite the impact of COVID-19, data from the China’s Ministry of Transport shows.

In 2020, the cargo throughput at ports rose 4.3 percent year on year to 14.55 billion tonnes, according to the ministry.

Specifically, the foreign trade cargo throughput came in at 4.5 billion tonnes, up 4 percent year on year, and the cargo throughput for domestic trade climbed 4.4 percent from a year ago to 10.05 billion tonnes.

The country’s container throughput at ports in 2020 stood at 260 million twenty-foot equivalent units, a yearly increase of 1.2 percent.

China’s busiest port – Ningbo Zhoushan sees robust container throughput growth

China’s busiest port, the Port of Ningbo Zhoushan in the eastern province of Zhejiang, reported strong growth in container throughput in January.

The port’s container throughput exceeded 2.88 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last month, a year-on-year increase of 14.5 percent, according to the port operator.

The port has newly opened one near-sea shipping route, increasing its total number of shipping routes to 261.

The port handled more than 1.17 billion tonnes of cargo in 2020, up over 4 percent year on year and ranking first in the world for a 12th straight year, showed statistics from the Ministry of Transport.

The port’s container throughput hit 28.72 million TEUs last year, up over 4 percent year on year and ranking third globally.