Ningbo Port and Shipping Bureau and Ningbo Shipping Exchange released the first Ningbo Port Index (NPI) analysis report July 24, detailing the condition and performance of China's coastal ports in the first half of 2018.

From in-depth analysis of numerous surveys and samples collected from ports and port companies, the report shows that from January to June, China's coastal ports saw steady development and an increase in average production output.

The NPI system consists of two main indices, a prosperity index and a confidence index, as well as four sub-indices concerning containers, dry bulks, liquid bulks and general cargoes.

According to the report, the container sub-index saw the highest increase, followed by dry bulk cargoes.

The NPI, a new global port and shipping index, debuted in June in Ningbo, home to Ningbo-Zhoushan Port which has the largest cargo throughput in the world. The index is designed to closely track changes in the port sector and forecast development trends through extensive analysis.

Ningbo-Zhoushan Port sees more cargo throughput than any other port in the world. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]