CHINESE CONTAINER TRAFFIC BOOM CONTINUES UNABATED

CHINESE CONTAINER TRAFFIC BOOM CONTINUES UNABATED    The rapid growth of container volumes at China’s major ports continued unabated in the first quarter of the year, showing increases of 22 to 61 percent, depending on the port, compared with the same quarter of last year.
   For the period from January to March, the combined container volume handled by China’s top 10 box ports rose by 38 percent, to 10.1 million TEUs, when compared to the first quarter of 2002.
   The port of Shenzhen in south China, comprising Yantian, Shekou and Chiwan, saw its container throughput soar by 49 percent, to 2.1 million TEUs. Throughput at the third largest port — Qingdao — was up by 32 percent, to 1 million TEUs.
   Ningbo, near Shanghai, experienced the fastest growth rate among the top 10 Chinese container ports. It registered a 61 percent increase in box traffic, to about 575,000 TEUs.
   It is not known whether the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome in China will affect the country’s industry and its future exports.