China ports rebound from box slump with strong Q1 growth

MAINLAND China's 10 largest container ports have all posted double digit increases in the volume growth during the first quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2009.

The aggregate total shows the ports handled 26.02 million TEU in January-March, an increase of 26.2 per cent year on year. Total volume handled by the ports in 2009 amounted to 98.7 million TEU, a decrease of five per cent compared to 2008, reports London's Containerisation International.

It said the highest first quarter increases were registered by the Bohai Bay ports of Lianyungang and Yingkou in Liaoning province, which saw volumes surge by 60.8 per cent and 61.1 per cent respectively, to 910,880 TEU and 820,540 TEU. The other Bohai Bay ports of Dalian, Tianjin and Qingdao also experienced growth in throughput.

It attributed Lianyungang's strong result to industrialisation projects in its hinterland and the rising levels of investment in its cargo handling facilities as both Cosco Pacific and China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) develop new terminals at the port. It has also been able to take advantage of its favourable geographical position situated at the top of the China rail land bridge.

The report said ports located in the Bohai Bay area were less affected by the earlier downturn in the transpacific and Europe trades as much of their business comes from the intra-Asia market, even posting small increases in volumes handled last year.

During the first quarter, the South China ports of Shenzhen, Ningbo and Guangzhou also saw their volumes rebound strongly, with Shenzhen's volume up 27 per cent to 4.9 million TEU, Ningbo's up by 22 per cent to 2.76 million TEU and Guangzhou's throughput rising by 28 per cent to 2.79 million TEU compared to the same period a year earlier.

Shanghai's throughput was up by 14.6 per cent to 6.43 million, driven by container volumes generated from the Yangtze River rising 36.7 per cent between January and April this year to 2.52 million TEU, according to the Yangtze River Administration, the report added.
 

Source: www.schednet.com