The international maritime service industry in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province has gained good momentum in the first quarter of this year. [Photo/zhoushan.cn]

The international maritime service industry in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province has gained good momentum in the first quarter of this year, local media reported on April 23.

Zhoushan offered more than 1.18 million metric tons of bonded supply oil, a year-on-year increase of 19.14 percent, and supplied $742 million worth of supplies to international ships, a year-on-year increase of 13.59 percent.

"More than 45,000 international ships enter, leave or pass by the northern sea of Zhoushan each year, making up 42 percent of the city's total. Most of the ships that stop in the city are high-service value ships, such as container carriers and large bulk carriers," said a staff member from the international maritime service base in Zhoushan.

He added that Zhoushan also borders the world's second largest ship delivery place, the Yangtze Estuary, in the north, providing a huge market space for maritime services in the northern port area of the city.

In addition, as the largest bunkering port in China, material supplies have become a new growth point for the maritime service industry in Zhoushan.

Last year, the city provided 4.8 billion yuan ($739 million) of material supplies, a year-on-year increase of nearly 40 percent. In the first three months of this year, the figure experienced a 56.59 percent year-on-year increase to $200 million.

The 14th Five Year Plan (2021-25)  by Zhoushan states that by the end of 2025, the output value of the maritime service industry is expected to be doubled from the previous Five Year Plan (2016-20) period.

The bunker oil supply in the city will be ranked among the top three in the world and the amount of its international ship repairing will account for more than one fourth of the global amount, according to the plan.