Cargo throughput at China’s main ports totalled some 500m tons in April 2009, down 1.9 per cent from a year earlier, according to an estimate by the Ministry of Transport. However, daily throughput was expected to be 3.2 percentage points higher than in March.

Cargo throughput for domestic trade was put at 340m tons in April, up 0.1 per cent compared with the same period last year. This would be the first year-on-year growth in 2009, according to the ministry. The upturn was largely attributed to the government’s Rmb4,000bn stimulus package and support plans for key industries.

By contrast, cargo throughput for foreign trade was expected to fall nearly 6 per cent year-on-year in April to 160m tons due to falling international demand.