January 2011 figures show that container throughput in Taicang terminal reached 175,200 TEU, up nearly 45 per cent over the same period last year. Throughput of general cargo grew by 32 per cent to 7.54m tons. According to the Yangtze River Administration, the new 12.5 metre water level at the Yangtze mouth has facilitated bigger vessels entering Taicang. The water level at the Jiangsu terminal reached 12.5 metres for the first time ever on 8 January.

This increase in water depth is the result of the multi-million-dollar Yangtze mouth dredging programme. The central government has already approved a plan to extend the 12.5 metre water level to Nanjing by 2013. Every increment of one metre in water level allows vessels to carry an extra 1,000 containers, thus reducing the cost of shipping. At the moment, the water level in Nanjing is below 10 metres.