Ningbo Zhoushan Port's container business growing steadily

A container vessel docks at Ningbo Zhoushan Port in East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/Ningbo Evening News]

Ningbo Zhoushan Port, the world’s largest port by cargo throughput volume, had opened 300 container routes as of June, local media reported, citing statistics from the Zhejiang Provincial Seaport Investment & Operation Group Co Ltd.

The port’s container business has been growing steadily in recent years. Official statistics show that the number of its container routes increased by over 40 from 2014 to 2021, while its container throughput volume soared by nearly 4 million TEUs during the same period.

Of the 300 container routes, about 30 are bound for Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. The creation of these routes is largely due to the port's efforts to tap the opportunities spawned by the Belt and Road Initiative and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.

In addition, the port has been continuously expanding its business globally despite the COVID-19 pandemic. It currently has 56 more routes compared to the end of 2019, and its sea-rail combined transport service pattern covers 61 prefecture-level cities across the nation, an increase of 11 over the end of 2019.

The sea-rail combined transport mode refers to the mechanism where goods are first loaded onto trains to Ningbo before being transported overseas by sea, and vice versa.

In 2021, Ningbo Zhoushan Port handled 1.22 billion metric tons of cargo, up 4.4 percent year-on-year and topping the global rankings for the 13th straight year. The port's container throughput reached 31.08 million TEUs, up 8.2 percent year-on-year, and was ranked third globally.