Taicang Port reports 7.9 percent cargo throughput growth

Taicang Port has reported a performance boost in the first eight months of the year after achieving a cargo throughput of 199 million tons, representing a 7.9 percent increase over the same period last year.

The port also saw a rise in foreign trade cargo, reaching 86.59 million tons, up 11.7 percent year-on-year, according to Jiangsu Taicang Port authorities.

The port has shown remarkable performance in automobile exports. In December 2024, it launched the largest roll-on/roll-off terminal on the Yangtze River mainline, the Haitong (Taicang) Automobile Terminal.

Through the year's first eight months, the terminal managed approximately 500 shiploads and over 600,000 vehicles, with exports exceeding 400,000.

Over 90 percent of roll-on/roll-off ships on global routes are made in China, and most transported vehicles also originate from China, according to Meng Jiamin, a vessel supervisor at Haitong (Taicang) Automobile Terminal Co.

Ye Wendong, manager of the company's administration and human resources department, highlighted that the South American market is a major route for the port and observed that exports of new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products to Europe are major drivers.

Liu Erqi, general manager of Haitong, addressed the EU's restrictions on new energy vehicle exports, acknowledging some impact but emphasizing that Chinese NEVs maintain strong competitiveness.

Currently, these regulations have had a limited effect on the company's overall business this year, Liu added.

As technology rapidly advances, Taicang Port is embracing innovation. Liu Bin, manager of the operations department at Taicang Zhenghe International Container Terminal, said that AI would be integrated into the terminal operation system to enhance the port's overall efficiency and service image.