The year-on-year growth of port throughput in the first five months of 2010 stood at 41.5 percent, 32.7 percent, 24.1 percent, 17.3 percent and 15.2 percent, respectively.
However, the port throughput of containers hit new high in May at 11.7 million TEUs, up 23.6 percent year-on-year. The year-on-year growth in May is equal to April. Exports growth is the major reason for the surge of container throughout in May. China's exports registered a year-on-year growth of 48.5 percent in May, up 18 percent from April, and a new high since March 2007.
But even against this background, analysts maintained the "neutral" rating for container ports as Europe's sovereign-debt crisis and depreciation of the euro put heavy pressure on China's exports. The European Union is China's largest export market, accounting for 16 percent of the country's foreign trade. The Chinese currency has appreciated 14.5 percent against euro since this year.