| Shipping companies and the international freight | | | | 2010 export growth to 10% as China import comes |
| sector in China continue to encounter the effects of | | | | back in demand in Europe and the United States. |
| the global economic gloom as they face the start of | | | | This optimistic forecast is reflected in the continuing |
| 2010. Massive declines in demand for China import | | | | development activity in relation to China imports. For |
| goods from the Western economies in Europe and | | | | example, a sixth container terminal is being built at |
| the United States have had a knock on effect right | | | | Waigaqiao Port and is expected to become |
| across the freight forwarding industry in China. | | | | operational in 2010 with an annual capacity of over 2 |
| China's Ministry of Transport has estimated that | | | | M TEU and 730,000 vehicles. |
| container throughput at ports in China will have | | | | This will help consolidate the extremely strong freight |
| decreased by 7% in 2009. In the first 9 months of | | | | transport infrastructure in China and bolster the |
| 2009, China's ports handled just over 77 TEU, down | | | | country's position as trade resumes, following the |
| 9% on the same period in the previous year. The | | | | recovery of the world economy and the inevitable |
| impact has not been uniform, with some ports | | | | continued growth of China imports as there is more |
| suffering worse than others. Year on year volumes | | | | disposable income and credit available in Western |
| at Shanghai, China's largest container port, fell 15% in | | | | economies. |
| the first nine months of the year and the second | | | | The likely continued economic development of the |
| largest port, Shenzhen saw an even steeper decline | | | | Eastern European countries are also likely to provide |
| at over 20%. This was because nearly half of the | | | | a further market for China imports as is improved |
| freight forwarding boxes handled at Shenzhen are | | | | relations between China and Taiwan. |
| China import bound for Europe and this international | | | | One of the optimistic pointers for future |
| freight business has been particularly badly hit by the | | | | development of the freight forwarding infrastructure |
| global economic slowdown. Meanwhile, some of the | | | | in China is the increasing amount of consolidation as |
| coastal ports such as Quindao and Dalian suffered | | | | smaller ports tie up with larger ports. For example, |
| smaller declines in container traffic and some, such as | | | | Ningbo and Zhoushan ports have merged and this has |
| Ningbo, Yingkou and Tianjin saw positive growth. | | | | spurred Shanghai to take equity stakes in |
| However, entering the New Year for 2010, the | | | | Chongquing, Wuhan and other ports on the upper |
| freight transport industry in China is optimistic about | | | | reaches of the Yangtse. Meanwhile, in Northern China. |
| the prospects for the future. Spokespeople for | | | | Qingdao and Dalian are joining forces with |
| shipping companies and freight companies operating in | | | | neighbouring smaller ports. The aim of the |
| the China freight forwarding industry are predicting | | | | consolidation is to tap the group's advantages. |
| growth in 2010. This point of view is backed up by a | | | | In this way, the main players in the freight services |
| recent report on international freight trends by | | | | infrastructure in China are laying the foundations for a |
| Deutsche Bank which says that throughput in China | | | | bright future and the various shipping companies and |
| should recover strongly during 2010. | | | | freight companies that use the ports will stand to |
| The securities firm has raised its forecast for China's | | | | benefit. |