Official statistics show that throughput of general cargo via the major Yangtze ports fell by 8.7 per cent to 115m tons in January, compared with the same month last year, largely due to the timing of the week-long Chinese New Year holiday. Container throughput also fell by 3.6 per cent to 800,000TEU. Meanwhile, passenger volumes rose by 6 per cent to 620,000.

Statistics from the Yangtze MSA show that eight accidents were reported in January in the section under its remit, between the provinces of Anhui and Chongqing. Six of them were collisions. These accidents involved 14 vessels, carrying sand, oil, containers, ro-ro cargo and other general cargo. Three non-cargo-carrying vessels were involved in collisions, causing two deaths and a direct economic loss of Rmb20,000.