Surge in container port throughput

Each of China's 10 biggest container ports recorded double-digit year-on-year percentage increases in throughput in 2002. Traffic at Ningbo increased 53 per cent to 1.86m teu, although the two biggest ports, Shenzhen and Shanghai, also performed strongly. Shanghai was again the country's largest port, its throughput rising 36 per cent to 6.34m teu. The three Shenzhen terminals of Chiwan,Yantian and Shekou had a combined volume of 7.61m teu, a 50 per cent increase on the previous year. That is still well under half the throughput of nearby Hong Kong.

Shanghai overtook the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung to become the world's fourth largest container port last year, according to a report by BNP Paribas Peregrine.