STATISTICS from the Ministry of Transport show cargo volume through major Chinese ports reached 2.64 billion tonnes in the first half, a bare year-on-year increase of 0.5 per cent, reports Xinhua.

Data issued in the first half indicate that foreign trade volume stood at 950 million tonnes, slipping 1.3 per cent. Within this foreign trade throughput, container traffic fell 10.9 per cent to 52.42 million TEU.

Bulk cargo accounted for most of the recovery of port business, said Xinhua, citing industrial experts. China's main ports received 310 million tonnes of iron ore and 256 million tonnes of coal, both commodities increasing 21.7 per cent year on year, plus 84.35 million tonnes of crude oil, which fell 2.5 per cent.

The World Steel Association show the global steel output declined by 22.4 per cent in the first five months of the year, while China had remained the only country that saw steel production rise, with its production account for half of the world's volume.