The longest ship since Zhanjiang Port was opened unloads at the dock. [Photo by Chen Yizhong/gdzjdaily.com.cn]

The cargo and container throughput at Zhanjiang Port saw a year-on-year increase of 26.4 percent and 34.4 percent respectively in June, both setting a record high, according to data released by Zhanjiang Port Group.

In the first half of this year, the port had a total cargo throughput of 5,388.5 metric tons, up 3.1 percent from the same period of the previous year, while its container throughput rose by 15.5 per cent year-on-year.

Zhanjiang Port Group has been deepening its cooperation with the Brazilian mining giant Vale since the beginning of this year, including opening new water diversion channels. In the first six months of this year, imports of Vale's iron ore raw materials and blending iron ore rose by 48.9 percent and 6.1 percent respectively.

The group expanded its crude oil depot to 900,000 cubic meters, and achieved a record high in its crude oil futures business in the first half of this year.

It also opened three new domestic and foreign trade routes, carried out direct shipments of frozen products, as well as built distribution centers for imported aquatic products and frozen meat.

To assist relevant enterprises amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the group launched measures, such as periodic exemption and reduction of warehousing fees, as well as the stipulated fees at the port like the facility security fee. The total fee reductions exceeded 10 million yuan ($1.42 million).

Since March 1, the group has been implementing the policy of exempting the port construction fee released by the Ministry of Transport and the Maritime Safety Administration. To date, a total of nearly 90 million yuan has been exempted.