BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The throughput of major ports in China continued to increase last week at an accelerated rate, according to the China Ports and Harbours Association (CPHA).
During the week from March 16 to 22, the throughput of key ports rose 4.6 percent from the previous week, and the data was higher than the 1.1 percent growth in the previous week, according to the CPHA.
Last week, the container throughput of the eight major coastal hub ports rose 6.2 percent on a weekly basis, as foreign trade enterprises in the country are accelerating work resumption.
As manufacturing production resumed at a faster pace, the container throughput of ports in the Pearl River Delta region grew rapidly, with the ports in Shenzhen and Guangzhou recording more than 20 percent growth week on week.
The crude oil throughput at major ports grew 14.8 percent from the previous week. In light of the tumbling global oil prices, many refineries and traders are increasing their crude oil purchases and more oil tanks are expected to arrive at Chinese ports in late April, according to the CPHA.
Last week, the iron ore throughput expanded 14.6 percent week on week in the four leading ports of Ningbo Zhoushan, Tianjin, Qingdao and Rizhao, and the inventory of iron ore at major ports stood at 118 million tonnes on March 20, according to the CPHA.
The coal throughput of Qinhuangdao and Huanghua ports, two leading coal ports in northern China, dropped 15.4 percent week on week, while their inventory rose 8.3 percent.
The throughput of the Yangtze River hub ports shrank 10.7 percent week on week.
