A container ship anchors at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port [Photo/IC]

Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in East China's Zhejiang province was the world's busiest port for the 12th consecutive year in 2020 with an annual cargo throughput of 1.172 billion metric tons, a year-on-year increase of 4.7 percent, according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Transport.

Last year, the port's container throughput grew 4.3 percent to 28.72 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) containers, ranking 3rd among ports worldwide.

In the face of challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the downturn of the global economy, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port managed to resume operations in the early months of 2020. A slew of supporting policies were unveiled to help lighten the burden on companies, and a standardized system was established to serve ships from virus-hit regions.

The port took advantage of national strategies such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt to expand services and build a new development pattern.

In 2020, the number of shipping routes connecting the port with BRI countries and regions surpassed 100. The sea-rail transport service links the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port by rail with cities in 15 provincial-level regions across China.