China’s Ningbo-Zhoushan port has witnessed a flourishing growth in the container sector, as it draws nearer to Singapore – currently the world’s second busiest container port.
Alphaliner’s latest data noted that the Chinese port handled a total of 17.54 million TEU in the first half of 2022, just 1.08 million TEU less than Singapore versus 2.7 million TEU in the same period a year ago and 4 million TEU prior to the pandemic.
Record-breaking results were also registered in Q2 following the three-month lockdown of Shanghai, which reportedly boosted the port’s volume growth as transpacific cargo was substantially diverted to Ningbo-Zhoushan.
“Indeed Ningbo-Zhoushan even overtook Singapore in Q2 though figures were undoubtedly boosted by the extraordinary Shanghai lockdowns in April and May,” noted Alphaliner.
“Ningbo-Zhoushan has benefitted from restrictions at its lock-down hit neighbour Shanghai, with many carriers diverting ships to avoid delays and trucking issues.”
However, the port has been witnessing continued growth since July – handling 3.28 million TEU up 26 per cent on the year before even as volumes bounced back at Shanghai.
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Singapore ended H1 posting a drop in volumes by 1.7 per cent compared to the same period the year prior, against Ningbo’s 8.8 per cent climb.
In April the East China Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan hit a record monthly 3 million TEU.
China’s eight ports in Alphaliner’s rankings scored 53 per cent of total throughput for the leading 20 ports, although recent data showed the trend might go downwards as more lockdowns in the country have been recently imposed.
Earlier this month, local authorities ordered the stop of all operations at Chinese major ports as Muifa, one of this year’s strongest typhoons, hit the country’s coastal areas on 14 September.
