Qingdao container volume up 11.2pc, defies depressed market conditions

THE second largest port in China for foreign trade, Qingdao, has manage to maintain its status with a year-on-year growth of 9.4 per cent in its foreign trade cargo volume to 157 million tonnes in the first seven months of this year.

In the same period, the port's overall tonnage increased 8.3 per cent to 241 million tonnes, while its container throughput climbed 11.2 per cent to 8.46 million TEU. The port's operating revenue grew 15 per cent to CNY7.1 billion (US$1.13 billion), according to Xinhua.

Qingdao is aiming to accomplish a throughput of 400 million tonnes in terms of tonnage and a box volume of 14.5 million TEU by the end of the year. In the meantime, its Dongjiakou port area will finish building of 10 new berths by the end of the year end, which will bring the port 100 million tonnes of extra capacity.