Ningbo Zhoushan Port handled 1.224 billion metric tons of cargo in 2021, up 4.4 percent year-on-year and topping the global rankings for the 13th straight year.

The port's container throughput reached 31.08 million TEUs last year, up 8.2 percent year-on-year and ranking third globally, official data from the Zhejiang Port and Shipping Management Center showed.

Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group Co Ltd, the operator of the Ningbo Zhoushan Port, is the first company from Zhejiang to win the China Quality Award (CQA).

The CQA, which is conferred by the State Administration for Market Regulation every two years, is the highest honor in the field of quality management in China.

As of the end of last year, the port had opened 287 shipping routes, 27 more than the previous year.

Of the 287 routes, 117 were launched to countries involved in Belt and Road Initiative.

Intensified efforts have also been made to tap the sea-rail combined transport model, which refers to the mechanism where goods are first loaded onto trains to Ningbo before being transported overseas by sea, and vice versa.

To date, the port has launched freight train routes to 61 prefecture cities in 16 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across the nation.

Measures like optimizing route allocation have been taken by its operators to relieve the shortage of containers in the market.

About 7.548 million empty containers were supplied at the port in 2021.

The handling volume of iron ore, coal, liquefied oil products, grain, and vehicles by "ro-ro" (roll-on/roll-off) ships at the port also saw stable growth.