From January to August, the port of Dalian, in north eastern China, handled 2.39 million TEU up 16.9 per cent over the corresponding period a year ago, taking 62 per cent of this year's 3.85 million TEU annual target, Xinhua reported.

During the same period last year the port's throughput came to 142.6 million tons, increasing 18 per cent, taking up 64.8 per cent of the annual cargo throughput target of 220 million tons.

In August, the port's box volume rose 18.7 per cent over the same month in 2006 to 340,000 TEU while cargo throughput went up 19.5 per cent to 19.4 million tons.