Shanghai tops world in container throughput

The container throughput of Shanghai ports of 43.5 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units topped the world for the 11th consecutive year last year, local customs said on Monday.

The city also became one of the top three shipping centers for the first time according to the Xinhua-Baltic Exchange International Shipping Center Development Index.

Container throughput has reached over 40 million TEUs for four consecutive years, customs said.

A green channel for coronavirus prevention material was opened at Waigaoqiao Port in the Pudong New Area at the beginning of last year. Checks on 3 million masks and 50,000 items of surgical clothing took just three hours.

To support the export of coronavirus prevention products, an express lane based on an appointment system was established by the Wusong Customs in Baoshan District. The authority also told companies about export requirements in advance, such as certifications and labels, to avoid any delays.

Through cutting declaration steps, Yangshan Customs in Pudong helped American automaker Tesla accelerate production during the pandemic.

Last year, the container throughput of Yangshan Port reached 20 million TEUs, a record.

Shanghai’s total value of imports and exports hit a record high in 2020 of 3.48 trillion yuan (US$538 billion), increasing 2.3 percent year on year.