Shuifu port, the furthest upstream port on the Yangtze trunk line, restarted operation on 25 June after three years of construction work. For the first time in its history, Yunnan province has a terminal capable of handling containers and accommodating vessels of 1,000 dwt.

Shuifu port was first built in 1987 with a cargo handling capacity of just 400,000 tons. In 2005 the central government started a major dredging project in the Shuifu section of the Yangtze in conjunction with a number of road and rail building projects. Yunnan provincial government spent Rmb150m over three years to modernise and expand the port. The upgraded port has three 1,000 dwt berths for bulk, breakbulk, and oversize cargo with an annual handling capacity of 2m tons.

The dredging project, completed in 2009, has made it possible for vessels of 1,000 dwt to sail in this section rather than the original 500 dwt, thus reducing costs for shippers.