NORTH China’s Tianjin port Sunday saw its cargo throughput cross the 500-million-ton mark for the first time this year, which allowed it remain as the world’s fourth-largest harbor in terms of cargo throughput.

    Located on the coast of the Bohai Sea, the Tianjin port follows the Ningbo-Zhoushan port, the port of Shanghai — both in eastern China — and the port of Singapore in terms of cargo throughput volume.

    Improved infrastructure and steady goods flows from the inland have contributed to the rapid growth in the port’s throughput, with coal, oil products, ores and steel being the main goods delivered by the harbor, said officials at Tianjin Port (Group) Co.

    The largest comprehensive port in northern China, the Tianjin port has established trade ties with more than 500 ports in 180 countries and regions around the world.

    The port lists yuan-denominated A shares on the Shanghai Stock Exchange as Tianjin Port Co. The firm’s shares inched up 0.48 percent to close at 8.42 yuan (US$1.39) yesterday, while the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed 0.18 percent lower at 2,097.53 after a government pledge to keep liquidity and financial markets stable next year failed to assure investors.

    (SD-Xinhua)