NORTHERN's Hebei province posted a year-on-year 9.6 per cent growth in port throughput to 319 million tonnes in the first five months, accounting for 42.5 per cent of the annual expectation volume, reports Xinhua.

The provincial Qinghuangdao moved 115.82 million tonnes, up 3.2 per cent year on year. Tangshan port handled 148.95 million tonnes, growing 19.4 per cent. The port's Jingtang terminal moved 67.3 million tonnes, while Caofeidian 81.65 million tonnes and hunaghua 53.93 million tonnes, up 15.6 per cent.

The province's cargo volume by water transport increased 8.2 per cent to 10.86 million tonnes during the first five months.