Anhui’s new Provincial Port Law, released on 30 June and effective on 1 October, includes a warm welcome to outside investors. According to the local law, companies and individuals, domestic and foreign alike, are encouraged to invest and operate Anhui ports and their legal rights are guaranteed. The law also stipulates that priority will be given to the construction of common-user terminals.

Anhui has 17 ports along the Yangtze trunkline and its tributaries, including major ones such as Wuhu, Maanshan, Anqing, Tongling and Hefei. By the end of 2008, the province had a total of 1,269 berths. Among them, 56 berths could accommodate 5,000 dwt vessels, while 300 berths could handle vessels of between 1,000-5,000 dwt.