Major east China port handles over 40 million TEUs for second year

HANGZHOU, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in east China's Zhejiang Province has handled more than 40 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) so far this year, marking the second consecutive year it has surpassed the milestone, port officials said Tuesday.

The port, the world's busiest by cargo throughput, reached the threshold 22 days earlier than last year, according to Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Co., Ltd.

China's foreign trade in goods totaled 39.94 trillion yuan (about 5.95 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first three quarters of 2026, up 18.8 percent year on year. Expanding trade and a shift toward higher-value exports have brought more cargo to the port while increasing demand for faster, more reliable transport links, a company official said.

Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has expanded its inland service network, with 115 sea-rail intermodal routes reaching 71 cities in 16 provincial-level regions. The port's sea-rail freight volume has exceeded 1.8 million TEUs so far this year.

It operates more than 310 container shipping routes, connecting with over 700 ports in more than 200 countries and regions, the official said.

The China-Europe Arctic container express route entered regular operation this year and completed eight voyages during the navigation season. The route connects Ningbo-Zhoushan Port with major European ports via the Northeast Passage and takes about 20 days, nearly half the time required by the traditional Suez Canal route.

To handle growing volumes, the port has upgraded infrastructure, including deep-water shorelines, specialized berths and cargo collection and distribution facilities, the official said.

In September, the port's average daily container handling volume exceeded 140,000 TEUs, while monthly throughput reached a record 4.27 million TEUs.

Through coordination with customs, maritime authorities, border inspection agencies and shipping companies, the port has continued to reduce container ships' non-operating time, the official added.

In 2025, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port handled more than 1.4 billion tonnes of cargo, ranking first globally for the 17th consecutive year.