(CFP Photo)
The foreign trade cargo throughput at the ports in Jiangsu Province totaled 160 million tonnes in the first quarter of the year, up 10.8% year-on-year, with 3.18 million TEUs handled, up 14% year-on-year.
Major ports in the province intensified efforts to expand trade routes during the period. January saw the inauguration of the Lianyungang-Xuzhou river transport route, followed by the launch of direct shipping for agricultural products between Lianyungang Port and Dara Sakor in Cambodia in February and the debut of a land-rail intermodal transport service linking Dunhuang, Lianyungang and Bangkok in March.
In the first quarter, Lianyungang Port increased its cargo throughput by 6.51% year-on-year, with foreign trade cargo and TEU volumes rising by 18.24% and 8.15%, respectively.
On January 15, the Xinshengwei Terminal of Nanjing Port welcomed the arrival of the first bulk vessel with a draft of 11.6 meters, the deepest for a ship to reach in the river port. This achievement underscores Nanjing Port's enhanced competitiveness. Currently, Nanjing Port manages 61 berths, with 30 capable of accommodating 10,000-tonne vessels. It runs 200 container routes weekly, connecting regions including Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, India and Pakistan.
Nanjing Port has optimized its vehicle shipping service, adding a new route to Russia. These efforts led to an increase of 47.76% in terms of the vehicle throughput in the first quarter.
Currently, Nanjing has about 85 high-end shipping service enterprises, which accounted for 26% of the province's total and ranked second only to Shanghai in the Yangtze River Delta.
Suzhou Port has prioritized its shipping routes for new energy vehicles and energy storage cabinets, aiming to become a transportation hub of products related to renewable energy. In the first quarter, Suzhou Port handled 159,000 vehicles, up 51.2% year-on-year, and saw its foreign trade cargo volume of 48 million tonnes, up 2.9% year-on-year, with 1.572 million TEUs processed, a 10.6% rise.
During the same period, Nantong Port recorded a foreign trade volume of 11.379 million tonnes, making a year-on-year growth of 28.5%. The port currently operates six shipping routes for direct foreign trade.
Jiangsu’s ports have enhanced their operation efficiency thanks to the technological applications. For example, using the laser guided navigation system and QR codes, robots can manage vehicles efficiently based on export destinations, loading schedules, and vehicle brands.
In addition, progress was made in the Phase III expansion of the Huai'an Port, set to be completed by 2025. The project will feature automated terminals mainly used for modern logistics services, including warehousing, processing and logistics.
