Its terminals move 6.05 million containers in the first six months of the year, an increase of 31pc
The mainland's efforts to cool its racing economy had little impact on the flow of manufactured goods streaming from the south in the first half of the year as Shenzhen staked its claim to become the nation's busiest port.
The port complex at Shenzhen - comprising mostly the terminals in Yantian, Shekou and Chiwan - moved more than 6.05 million boxes across its docks in the first half, up 31.6 per cent on last year, when it was the world's No4 port.
Six new berths have been opened in the past year, quays approved and built before Beijing's crackdown on construction of logistics facilities it said were tying up billions of yuan in bank loans.
The central government's austerity measures were targeted at the production of raw materials such as low-grade steel rather than manufactured goods, which are typically exported by sea.
A shortage of Chinese-made marine equipment might yet prove the only thing capable of slowing the movement of products from factories in the Pearl River Delta, south China port and shipping line executives said yesterday.
'The austerity measures won't have a great impact on the demand for containerised cargo. There'll be more impact on bulk imports, such as raw materials used in real estate and heavy industries,' a senior manager with Chiwan Container Terminals (CCT) said. 'However, there may be an indirect impact on throughput [because] there are not enough empty containers available. Equipment problems may yet affect the throughput numbers.'