China’s cargo throughput increased 3.5 per cent year-on-year to 3.88bn tons in the first seven months of 2009, according to the Ministry of Transport. First-half growth was 2.6 per cent year-on-year, indicating a strong July performance.

Container throughput totalled 66.7m teu by the end of July, down 9.9 per cent from a year ago. Once again this was an improvement on the half-year performance, when the figure was 52.4m teu, down 10.9 per cent on year.

Foreign trade-related dry bulk goods totalled 1.2bn tons at the end of July, up 1.9 per cent from a year ago.