Zhanjiang Port's freight traffic volume saw a rapid annual growth of 18.2 percent over the first three quarters, reported Zhanjiang Evening News, citing the city's transportation bureau.

Nearly 10 percentage points higher than last year, the growth rate ranked second highest among all major ports in the country, the bureau claimed. By the end of September, freight traffic volume inside the port totaled 194 million metric tons, 29.83 million tons more than the same period last year.

The fast growth is expected to bring Zhanjiang Port back onto the list of the nation's top 10 biggest ports, a list upon which it used to hold a steady position. In 2015, the port ranked 12th in cargo throughput among ports nationwide.

The coastal city in southwest Guangdong province will expand its scope to further increase port economy, primarily by opening international shipping lanes to Southeast Asian markets.

A container terminal in Zhanjiang Port [Photo by Li Bo/Zhanjiang Evening News]