China container ports surge in May

China container ports surge in May    Container volume at Chinese ports was near record-breaking levels in May, showing China is leading the demand recovery for containerized goods, according to a report Monday by the maritime news service Alphaliner.
   Volume at Chinese ports grew 21.9 percent in May to 12.1 million TEUs, compared to the same month in 2009. More significantly, the volume is 16.6 percent higher than in May 2008.
   Six of China's top 10 ports posted record volume during May, including Shanghai, which is poised to overtake Singapore as the world's busiest container port.
   Shanghai has handled more volume than Singapore in April and May, and despite Singapore's 14.4 percent growth this year, it stands to be outstripped by Shanghai's 18.2 percent growth. In 2009, Singapore handled 25.9 million TEUs, while Shanghai handled 25 million.
   Shenzhen, China's second-busiest port, saw 27.2 percent growth in May, much in line with its 27.1 percent growth for the year. Shenzhen handled 8.4 million TEUs through the first five months, compared to 11.4 million for Shanghai.
   Ningbo, Shanghai's neighbor to the south, has seen the fastest growth this year of any of China's top ports. Volume grew 52.3 percent in May, and has grown 33.5 percent for the year, to 5 million TEUs.