Statistics released by the Yangtze River Administration show that cargo throughput along the trunkline fell by three per cent to 73m tons, compared with the same month last year. Container throughput also fell by 2.6 per cent to 450,000 teu, the first fall since the start of the global economic crisis. Export-related cargo suffered the sharpest decline, nearly 11 per cent to 9m tons. “The situation is devastating,” said Johns Gu, deputy general manager of NYK Logistics China, which has several branch offices along the Yangtze. “Our boxes are going in, but not coming out because there is little cargo going overseas.” The company is cutting more jobs, having just closed down its Chengdu office.

January saw the first rise of 5.7 per cent in cargo throughput after three months of sharp falls: 17 per cent in October, 21 per cent in November and 30 per cent in December. Port officials predicted then that throughput was likely to fluctuate due to the worsening worldwide economic crisis, before stabilising towards the second half of the year.