In 2004, Shanahai Port overtook Rotterdam Port to the world's second place in terms of cargo throughput, according to Shanghai Port Administration on January 11, 2005.

Last year Shanghai Port's cargo-handling capacity reached 379 million tons, accounting for 15 percent of the total of China' s major seaboard ports. The throughput surpassed Rotterdam's 354 million tons to push Shanghai Port the the world's second largest cargo port only after of Port Singapore (about 388 million tons).

Xu Peixing, head of Shanghai Port Administration, said the port witnessed a sustained and rapid growth of its cargo throughput in the year 2004. It handled 379 million tons of cargoes, 19.8 percent more than the previous year; 158 million tons of foreign trade goods, up 22.1 percent year-on-year.

In addition, the port achieved 14.554 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers, up 29 percent from 2003. Sources say, the figures of Hong Kong and Port of Singapore were 22 and 20 million respectively in 2004, after which Shanghai ranked the world's third.

By People's Daily Online