China's Jiangsu sees steady growth of int'l ships in March

NANJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- East China's Jiangsu Province saw its international routes register steady growth in the number of entry-exit ships and passengers in March, showing a strong recovery of its foreign trade.

The number of ships and passengers passing through the river and sea ports in Jiangsu increased by 27.6 percent and 29.2 percent year on year, respectively, in March, according to the provincial entry-exit border inspection station.

Due to the rapid recovery in foreign trade and other positive factors, Jiangsu's ports saw a rebound in traffic, with the number of entry-exit ships rising by 18.3 percent compared with the figure in February, said Chen Xiangyun, an official with the border inspection station.

The ports of Lianyungang, Taicang and Zhangjiagang ranked the top three in terms of entry-exit ship numbers in March, accounting for 20.4 percent, 17.9 percent and 12.5 percent of the province's total, respectively.

Most of the province's international routes registered growth in ships in March, with the number of ships to and from Russia, Vietnam and the Philippines increasing by more than 40 percent.