22 Xiamen Throughput: 5,034,600teu (+8.8%)

Despite increasing throughput by 407,600teu last year, Xiamen's result was badly affected by the slowing down of international demand. Domestic traffic played a crucial part in the port's growth, accounting for 851,700teu, up 34% year-on-year, while foreign trade volumes rose by only 4.4%.

The port has put much emphasis on upgrading its railway network, which has been extended to cover inland provinces such as Jiangxi and Hunan. The volume of railway-sea cargo rose 56% to 4,709teu in the first five months in 2009.

This year, Xiamen will invest Rmb2.5bn (US$366m) on the construction of berths 12-19 in the Haicang area, the Dongdugang terminal and the general cargo terminal in Liuwudian south. The port hopes to put 10 new deepwater berths into trial operation by the end of 2009. It will also speed up the main channel expansion phase III and Haicang waterway expansion phase II projects.

Xiamen's target is to lift 110m tonnes of cargo in 2009, including 5.3m teu of containers.

Located on the west coast of the Taiwan Strait, Xiamen is expected to benefit from the restoration of the cross-strait direct sea links started in mid-December last year. Vessels can now carry cargo directly between China and Taiwan, while coastal ports on both sides are permitted to handle transhipment cargo from China. Direct cargo shipment between Xiamen and Taiwan amounted to 114,000teu in the first five months of 2009.