45 Suzhou Throughput: 2,570,000teu (+35.3%)

Suzhou port is again the number one river hub port in China and is in the world's top 10 in terms of teu volume growth, increasing year-on-year by 670,000teu in 2008. Its three major port areas, Taicang, Zhangjiagang and Changshu, contributed container throughput of 1.45m teu, 814,200teu and 305,300teu respectively.

In the first five months of 2009, Suzhou saw container volume fall 7.1% to 942,000teu year-on-year. Taicang port area maintained its growth momentum lifting 556,000teu, 4.7% more than in the same period a year earlier.

Served by 113 container line routes, Suzhou hopes to start its own direct service to Europe and is in negotiations with shipping lines.

The integrated port of Suzhou has 197 berths and annual capacity of 210m tonnes. A major expansion of the Taicang port area will see four 50,000dwt container berths built, adding 1,309 metres of additional quayline and bringing the total capacity at Taicang to 6m teu in 2010.

Suzhou will also add four general cargo berths at Taicang, a general cargo berth and a coal terminal at Changshu, as well as a liquefied chemical terminal in Zhangjiagang this year.