Han Ximin, Wang Zhizhi

ximhan@126.com

YANTIAN International Container Terminals (YICT) set a new record for monthly throughput by handling more than 1.42 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in August, which is also a world record for a port run by a single operator, Yantian International Container Terminals Ltd. said in a press release yesterday.

The port has also ranked first in the industry for three months in a row.

In July and August, YICT opened three new North American routes, two new European routes and four new Asian routes, which has strengthened the role of Yantian port as a shipping hub for line-haul transportation to Europe and the U.S., and promoted the development of international transshipment, according to the company.

In the face of the increasing import and export cargo business, Dapeng Customs, which supervises Yantian port located in Yantian District, has taken measures to ensure inspections can proceed smoothly during peak periods, such as allocating more staff and extending inspection hours.

In import inspections, a new cold chain inspection platform was launched through cooperation between the port and Dapeng Customs, adding 29 new inspection slots to serve the increasing demand for “reefer container” inspections brought by the epidemic. In August, Dapeng Customs completed inspections on more than 10,000 inbound and outbound containers, a year-on-year increase of 18 percent.

YICT is a leading gateway serving import and export container traffic. Characterized by its natural deep-water berths and unparalleled mega-vessel handling capabilities, Yantian is the preferred port-of-call for mega-vessels in South China and one of the busiest container terminals in the world. More than 30 major shipping lines operate 100 weekly services at Yantian.

Shenzhen saw foreign trade grow 13.5 percent year on year to 275.2 billion yuan (US$40 billion) in July, according to Shenzhen Customs.

The July growth is 4.6 percentage points higher than that of June.

During the first seven months of this year, the city’s foreign trade increased 1.6 percent year on year to 1.61 trillion yuan.

Shenzhen saw foreign trade with the ASEAN countries up 11.9 percent year on year to 248.4 billion yuan in the first seven months. It also reported positive trade growth with other trading partners, including the European Union, Britain, South Korea and Japan.