E. China's Zhoushan Port handles 303 mln t cargo throughput in H1

Aerial photo taken on March 3, 2021 shows a view at the Ningbo Zhoushan Port in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang)

BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Zhoushan, a port city in east China's Zhejiang Province, handled cargo throughput of 303 million metric tons (tonnes) in the first half of 2021, an increase of 6.72 percent year on year, representing 50.05 percent of the annual target, according to latest data of the local authority. 

In breakdown, the throughput of goods for foreign trade was about 99.4 million tonnes, a year-on-year increase of 10.44 percent. 

In the first half of the year, Zhoushan saw the oil and gas throughput stand at about 70.26 million tonnes, an increase of 15.18 percent year on year.

"On the one hand, the domestic demand for crude oil imports is driving, and on the other hand, the petrochemical production capacity in Zhejiang Province has quickened the pace of release, leading to a significant increase in the refined oil exports," said Yu Shaohua, an official of the local port authority. 

Meanwhile, the port also saw a throughput of about 6.36 million tonnes in the grain sector in the period, up 63.2 percent year on year.

Due to the domestic residents' rising demand for meat, eggs, milk, and aquatic products, the breeding industry has a strong demand for soybean and corn, according to Xu Jiaqi, an official of Zhoushan Port Co., Ltd. 

Data also showed that in the first half of 2021, Zhoushan saw the container throughput of 930,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in total, a year-on-year increase of 13.42 percent.

The outstanding performances were attributed to the improving business environment in the port. For example, the number of the declaration data for ships entering or exiting Zhoushan Port has been reduced from 1,206 items to 371 items, and the time for completing procedures for ship entry and exit has been cut from 16 hours to 2 hours, according to the local authority. (Edited by Hu Pingchao, Wang Siyi with Xinhua Silk Road, hupingchao@xinhua.org)