THE port of Shanghai, which is the largest in China, has handled more than 20 million TEU so far this year, and is expected to breach the 21 million TEU mark in 2006, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Last year, the facility moved a total of 18 million TEU, according to Chen Xuyuan, president of Shanghai International Port (Group) Co., who was quoted in the news agency report. He also forecast that by 2010 the port will handle 34 million TEU.

Mr Chen said Shanghai port has grown rapidly with an average of 2,173 container ships from more than 300 ports calling each month during the first eleven months of the year.

The agency report said that Shanghai port handled 443 million tons of cargo last year, more than any other port in the world while its container volume is ranked third in the world.