EASTERN province Zhejiang handled 16,987 TEU of cross-strait direct sea shipping containers in October, which increased seven per cent year on year but fell 13 per cent from September, Xinhua reports, according to the Ministry of Transport website.

In this month, Zhejiang's Taiwan direct sea shipping bulk cargo soared 172 per cent year on year to 157,753 tonnes, but dropped 18 per cent compared to the previous month.

Direct passenger shipping service was suspended in this month due to "service restructure". The province handled a total of 67 inbound and outbound vessels of direct shipping, which remained at the same level as in October last year but was 12 per cent less than in September this year.

Ningbo-Zhoushan port, the largest port in the province, handled 14,815 TEU of cross-strait direct shipping containers, down four per cent year on year and 11 per cent month on month. Cross-strait bulk cargo handled by the port surged 243 per cent to 138,046 tonnes, but went down 21 per cent over September.

Wenzhou, another major port in Zhejiang, handled 2,172 TEU of such containers, which increased by a dramatic 426 per cent year on year but fell 26 per cent month on month.

Jiaxing port handled 19,707 tonnes of cross-strait direct shipping freight, up 11 per cent year on year and eight per cent month on month.

During the first 10 months of this year, Zhejiang's Taiwan direct sea shipping containers amounted to 161,995 TEU, growing five per cent year on year. Bulk cargo soared 173 per cent to 1.87 million tonnes. Passenger throughput plunged 61 per cent to only 12,499 persons. Inbound and outbound direct shipping vessels climbed 23 per cent to 821.