Thirty large ports in China handled a total of 5.67 billion tonnes of cargo in the first half of 2015, up 2.6% year on year (y/y), a slowdown from last year’s 5.6% annual growth, showed data released by the Ministry of Transport (MOT).
As 19 coastal ports handled 3.94 billion tonnes of cargo, rising 1.6% y/y, the other 1.73 billion tonnes were handled by river ports, growing 5%, according to the MOT.
In the first quarter of 2015, the cargo throughput just increased by 2.2% than the previous year, representing the slowest growth since 2009, showed data from MOT.
The imports of iron ore and coal stood at 453 million tonnes and 99.9 million tonnes respectively during the first half of 2015, dropping 0.9% and 38% from the previous year, and only the imports of crude oil showed a 7.5% annual growth, standing at 163.4 million tonnes.
Shanghai Shipping Exchange’s (SSE’s) latest report attributed the slower growth to weak export, adjustments of China’s domestic economy, as well as slower investment increase from January to June this year.
During the same period, container throughput rose by 6.1% y/y, standing at 102.7 million teu, among which 92.1 million teu were from coastal ports while 10.6 million teu from river ports, according to MOT. The growth speed was almost the same as last year.
As a result of the slower growth of emerging economies, unbalanced recovery of developed economies, as well as the ongoing escalated regional conflicts, container throughput may see a small drop in the second half of this year, projected SSE.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.
