The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in the eastern province of Zhejiang saw its annual container throughput surpassing 40 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) for the first time on Tuesday, making it the country's second and the world's third port to cross the milestone.
The port, which began container operations in 1984, reached the 30-million-TEU-mark only four years ago, showing a pace of growth that ranks it among the fastest-growing of the world's top five ports.
"The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port is currently the world's only port with two single terminals each able to handle more than 10 million TEUs. This year it added services to the Arctic Ocean, while total shipping routes have climbed above 300. The number of overseas logistics hubs has increased to 11, and rail-sea intermodal connections have expanded to 111," said Cen Jianjiang, deputy director of business at Ningbo Zhoushan Port Company Limited.
The port has also broadened its service chain through overseas warehouses and end-to-end logistics, building a global logistics network.
According to local customs authorities, the products passing through the port are largely high-end manufacturing goods.
"According to Ningbo Customs, mechanical and electrical products remained the dominant export from Ningbo Port in the first 10 months of this year, worth 913.42 billion yuan and accounting for 54 percent of the total. Exports from Ningbo's apparel industry and the 'new trio' -- electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products -- also stood out, reaching 265.35 billion yuan and 83.04 billion yuan respectively, both posting strong growth," said Wang Yu, deputy director of the supervision department with Ningbo Customs.
Ningbo-Zhoushan Port annual container throughput tops 40 million TEUs for first time
U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will extend the two-week ceasefire with Iran that was set to expire on Wednesday night (midnight GMT Tuesday).
"Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The U.S. president said he will "extend the ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other."
The U.S. military will continue the blockade against Iran and "remain ready and able," according to Trump.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X Tuesday that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports is "an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire" and attacking Iranian merchant ships and detaining their crew members were even more serious violations.
"Iran knows how to neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying," Araghchi wrote in his post.
Mehdi Mohammadi, an advisor to Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also said the U.S. blockade must be met with a military response, dismissing Trump's ceasefire extension announcement as "meaningless".
"Extending the ceasefire by Trump has no meaning. The losing side cannot dictate terms. Continuing the blockade is no different from bombing and must be met with a military response. Moreover, any extension of the ceasefire by Trump is certainly a way to buy time for a surprise attack. Now is the time for Iran to take the initiative," Mohammadi posted on X.
Trump extends ceasefire; Iran vows military response to naval blockade
