AN overall slowdown in first quarter volumes at ports worldwide has been blamed on trade protectionism, after the throughput growth rate decreased by 2.9 percentage points compared to the same period a year earlier, according to the Shanghai International Shipping Institute (SISI).
However, SISI's Global Port Development Report published in May also showed that the cargo throughput itself of the major ports globally maintained growth in the first quarter, rising by 3.4 per cent year on year, reported UK's Port Strategy.
The report pointed out that in Q1 the world's economy displayed clearer recovery signals, while manufacturing, consumption and investment continued to gain steam.
Container throughput at the key world ports rose by six per cent year on year to 77.2 million TEU, and global terminal operators - overall operation stayed stable, with increasingly diversified investment.
SISI revealed that the major Chinese ports handled 3.1 billion tonnes of cargo in the first quarter, but the growth rate declined by 4.1 percentage points - the lowest since the fourth quarter of 2016.
The growth rate of China's cargo throughput for domestic trade gradually slowed down, falling by 5.8 percentage points in the first quarter of this year, but Chinese ports above a designated size handled one billion tonnes of cargo of foreign trade, representing an increase of five per cent year on year.
According to SISI, Cosco Shipping Ports in the first quarter handled a total of 22.7 million TEU, an increase of 14.7 per cent year on year.
Ningbo-Zhoushan, Shanghai and Singapore, in that order, were the top three ports in the world for cargo throughput in the first quarter.
As for the major Australian ports, cargo volume rose by 7.6 per cent in the first quarter, while container throughput of major container ports in the Americas rose by 4.8 per cent to 8.3 million TEU.
However, SISI's Global Port Development Report published in May also showed that the cargo throughput itself of the major ports globally maintained growth in the first quarter, rising by 3.4 per cent year on year, reported UK's Port Strategy.
The report pointed out that in Q1 the world's economy displayed clearer recovery signals, while manufacturing, consumption and investment continued to gain steam.
Container throughput at the key world ports rose by six per cent year on year to 77.2 million TEU, and global terminal operators - overall operation stayed stable, with increasingly diversified investment.
SISI revealed that the major Chinese ports handled 3.1 billion tonnes of cargo in the first quarter, but the growth rate declined by 4.1 percentage points - the lowest since the fourth quarter of 2016.
The growth rate of China's cargo throughput for domestic trade gradually slowed down, falling by 5.8 percentage points in the first quarter of this year, but Chinese ports above a designated size handled one billion tonnes of cargo of foreign trade, representing an increase of five per cent year on year.
According to SISI, Cosco Shipping Ports in the first quarter handled a total of 22.7 million TEU, an increase of 14.7 per cent year on year.
Ningbo-Zhoushan, Shanghai and Singapore, in that order, were the top three ports in the world for cargo throughput in the first quarter.
As for the major Australian ports, cargo volume rose by 7.6 per cent in the first quarter, while container throughput of major container ports in the Americas rose by 4.8 per cent to 8.3 million TEU.