Ningbo's maritime economy rises in H1

An international cargo ship docks at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

Ningbo's port and shipping sector recorded remarkable growth in the first half of 2025. International sea freight jumped 15.5 percent year-on-year, with total waterway cargo reaching 190 million metric tons — up 6.8 percent. Waterway freight turnover hit 273.71 billion ton-kilometers, reflecting a 14.4 percent increase.

Driving this surge is a shift  toward exporting to Southeast Asia, which has boosted demand for near-sea routes. Ningbo seized this momentum, transforming external changes into strategic local gains. The city's agile response highlights its emerging role in regional trade.

Infrastructure investments played a vital role, too. Following the approval of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port master plan, the city accelerated development through efficient planning and coordination.

Highlights include five new 500-ton inland berths at Jin'gang Terminal in the Yuyao Donggang port area, a 300,000-ton channel expansion at Tiaozhoumen, and Shipu Port's first 10,000-ton-class channel.

In total, fixed investment in water transport reached 3.25 billion yuan ($454 million), up 38.4 percent year-on-year.

Despite global headwinds and policy uncertainty, Ningbo maintained stable cargo throughput. In the first half of 2025, the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port handled 710 million tons of cargo, while container throughput surged 9.8 percent to 21.04 million TEUs.