Ningbo Zhoushan Port handles 303m tons of cargo in Q1

Containers at Ningbo Zhoushan Port in East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: nbfb0574]

Ningbo Zhoushan Port handled 303 million metric tons of cargo in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 3.4 percent year-on-year.

The port's container throughput recorded a yearly uptick of 2.9 percent to 7.91 million TEUs over the three-month period, official data from the Zhejiang Port and Shipping Management Center showed.

The port has maintained normal operations despite a new wave of COVID-19 outbreaks across China.

From January to March, the port's throughput volume of bulk commodities, including iron ore, crude oil and liquefied oil products, saw stable growth.

This year, the port launched shipping routes to places including Europe and South America, bringing the total number of its container routes to 296 as of March.

In addition, efforts have been made to leverage the sea-rail combined transport mode, which refers to the mechanism where goods are first loaded onto trains to Ningbo before being transported overseas by sea, and vice versa.

In the first three months of this year, containers transported via this mode hit 357,800 TEUs at the port, up 33.9 percent year-on-year.

In addition, the port's operator has pushed ahead with infrastructure construction and sustained efforts to optimize services.

It has also set up a risk assessment mechanism for foreign ships to prevent the spread of COVID-19.