Port of Ningbo container volume up 7pc to 16.77 million TEU in 2013

THE port of Ningbo handled 16.77 million TEU in 2013, which was seven per cent more than in 2012, ranking it third in China and sixth in the world.

Last year, its throughput tonnage grew 9.5 per cent to 496 million tonnes, ranking third in China and the fourth in the world, Xinhua reports.

Ningbo is operating a total of 235 container shipping lines with over 1,400 sailings per month. Seventeen are ocean shipping lines.

In 2013, the port handled 1.73 million TEU of domestic trade containers. It also inaugurated three new sea-rail intermodal container routes last year. Its full-year sea-rail intermodal boxes surged 76.6 per cent to over 100,000 TEU.

Last year, Ningbo's handling efficiency was also further enhanced. The port's handling efficiency for Maersk's "Daily Maersk" service and for the 18,000-TEU container ships ranked at the top of the world.

The port's iron ore throughput grew 9.4 per cent to 53.32 million tonnes in 2013. This is the first time its iron ore throughput exceeded 50 million tonnes. It also handled 53.86 million tonnes of crude oil and 8.57 million tonnes of liquefied products.