Jiangsu's port of Taicang, 60 kilometres up the Yangtze from Shanghai, posted a 29.28 per cent year-on-year increase in overall container volume to 799,000 TEU in the first four months of the year, setting a record high, reports Xinhua.
Aggregate cargo volume in the period increased 33.7 per cent year on year to 47.9 million tonnes.
From January to April, the port's container throughput to Japan surged 45.42 per cent to 69,800 TEU. The rapid growth was attributed to the port authority's efforts in opening near-sea shipping services and increasing sailings to Japan.
Suzhou, in southeastern Jiangsu, saw its total import and export trade value reach US$309.3 billion in 2013, of which the trade value with Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asian Nations accounted for near 50 per cent of total value.
Taicang port official said Taicang Container Lines opened a weekly service to Japan's Moji port on May 17. It also cooperates with Shanghai Haihua Shipping and SITC International Holdings on another four twice-weekly services to Japan.
The total near sea shipping lines of the Taicang port are expected to surpass 20 per week by year end by increasing services to Taiwan and opening new services to Southeast Asia regions.