Guangzhou Port celebrates annual container throughput surpassing 20 million

A special ceremony was held on Dec 28 in Guangzhou Port to celebrate the ports' annual container throughput that exceeded 20 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units).

A special ceremony is held at Guangzhou Port on Dec 28 to celebrate the container throughput exceeding 20 million TEU. [Photo/Xinhua] 

According to Guangzhou Port Group, handling 20 million TEU in a single year is a landmark for the port, which is the seventh of its kind in the world to have lifted more than 20 million TEU annually. This year, the cargo handling capacity of Guangzhou Port is expected to hit 585 million tons.

The great achievement hinges on the geographic advantages of Guangzhou Port and the construction of Guangzhou's Nansha Pilot Free Trade Zone, said Li Yibo, general manager of Guangzhou Port Group.

It is a new start-point for Guangzhou Port and in the future we will formulate and implement a special three-year action plan, emulating top-tier ports in the world while carrying on high-quality development; we will also strengthen cooperation with international shipping companies, facilitate the upgrading of ports and build a smart port, to make breakthroughs in the construction of Guangzhou International Shipping Hub, according to Chen Hongxian, director of Guangzhou Port Authority.

The 20,000,000th TEU is lifted and loaded on a cargo ship at Guangzhou Port on Dec 28. [Photo/Xinhua] 

As of now, Guangzhou Port has established sister port relationship with 41 ports across the globe and nearly 197 routes have linked the port with the rest of the world.

Next year, the Guangzhou Port Authority will continue expanding the exchange and cooperation with foreign ports in fields such as information exchange and talent training, and prepare for the 31st World Ports Conference in 2019, said Chen at a press conference held earlier.