A total of 451,000 containers are handled in Taicang port in April, setting a new record for the port's monthly throughput. [Photo/WeChat account: TPETDZ]

A total of 451,000 containers were handled in Taicang port in April, up 11 percent year-on-year, setting a new record for the port's monthly throughput, Taicang Daily reported on May 16.

Some 10,734 ships arrived in and left Taicang port in the period, grew by 17.3 percent year-on-year.

In the first four months of this year, the port has handled more than 1.5 million containers, an increase of 11.6 percent year-on-year and more than 35,000 ships have passed in and out of the port, rose by 13.3 percent compared with last year.

Taicang port is now home to 10 berths exclusive to containers with a designed annual throughput of 4.35 million containers.

As the existing berths can barely satisfy the expanding numbers of containers handled in the port, four 50,000-ton berths with a designed annual handling capacity of 2 million containers are under construction, which is expected to expand the port's capacity by 50 percent.

Some 195 ship routes for containers are available, 25 of which are near-sea ones, reaching the ports in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and other countries and regions and the rest of which are for domestic trade.