Cargo throughput at China’s ports increased 20 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year, said He Jianzhong, a spokesman for the Ministry of Transport. Container throughput increased more than 7 per cent over the same period.

This contrasts with the first quarter of last year when China experienced its first decline in
port container throughput in 20 years.

Bulk commodities have been a driver of growth. Iron ore throughput at China’s ports amounted to 173m tonnes in the first quarter, an increase of 16 per cent year-on-year. Coal shipments totalled 125m tonnes, an increase of 7 per cent.