According to the Planning Institute of the Transport Ministry, the average growth rate of domestic coastal container handling is 37.9 per cent during the "Tenth Five-Year", and 24.5 per cent during the "Eleventh Five-Year" plan, increasing by 22.2 per cent year-on-year in 2011, reports ReportsnReports.com, an online market research study.
The key growth of domestic coastal container handling shifted from coastal areas to inland. According to statistics, from 2003-2011, the average growth rate of container handling capacity at inland ports is 37.2 per cent. This comes as the average tonnage of ships has risen from 18,000 tons in 2000 to 31,000 tons in 2010.
In the first four months in 2012, domestic throughput at coastal ports increased 5.9 per cent; laden container freight rose 12 per cent; domestic coastal container throughput increased by 15 per cent, while the total of other goods category was flat. The number of domestic coastal containers handled is expected to rise to 60 million TEU this year, and to 80 million TEU in 2015.