Foreign trade cargo throughput at Zhangjiagang Port amounts to 27.95 million metric tons in the first half of this year. [Photo/VCG]

Foreign trade cargo throughput at Zhangjiagang Port amounted to 27.95 million metric tons in the first half of this year, up 13.7 percent year-on-year, official data showed.

In the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the city's maritime affairs bureau has rolled out an array of favorable policies, such as special expense deductions for the import and export of cargo, to relieve the financial pressure on enterprises. 

Statistics show that the newly issued policies have reduced fees related to the import and export of cargo by more than 100 million yuan ($14.35 million) as of the end of June. This has in turn helped expand the port's foreign trade cargo throughput by 13.7 percent year-on-year to 27.95 million tons.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, the city unveiled a slew of policies to help the logistics sector resume work more quickly. A targeted approach was also adopted to encourage businesses in the logistics sector to resume operations.

With the help of advanced technologies, the city's maritime affairs bureau carried out non-contact operations in data collection and the regulation of cargo ships. Measures were also introduced to upgrade its cargo-handling capacities and accelerate work resumption so as to minimize the adverse impact of the COVID-19 on the city's economy.