Container volume and cargo throughput at Chinese ports both experienced growth in the first quarter of this year.

In the first quarter of 2024, the container throughput of 10 of China's major ports — Shanghai Port, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Xiamen, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Beibu Gulf—stood at 76.7 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), up 10% year over year.

Foreign trade volume was up 11.1% during the January to March period last year, while domestic container volume expanded by 8.5% compared to the same period in 2023.

The Shanghai Port — the world's busiest container port — accounted for bulk of the volumes, handling 12.45 million TEUs in the first quarter.

It was followed by 9.14 million TEUs at the Ningbo-Zhoushan, which was the world's third busiest port, and Guangzhou, the sixth busiest port, with 6.09 million TEUs.

Beibu Gulf — a seaport in Guangxi province, China — saw the largest increase in container volumes, with growth of 20.4% year-on-year. 

Shenzhen Port recorded a 16.2% volume increase compared to the same first quarter period in 2023.

Meanwhile, only Xiamen saw a decline in year-on-year volumes, recording a drop of 1.8% compared to the first three months of 2023.