Talks are underway between the Ningbo Government, the main operator of the Ningbo port and representatives of the truck drivers and owners to normalize the container operations at the world’s sixth busiest port brought to a standstill by protesters.

A deal has been reached on new guidance on container trucking rates between Ningbo Port Association, Ningbo Transport Association and Ningbo International Freight Forwarders Association, which has increased the current rate by 12%, according to SinoShip News.

The government has called all the related companies to comply with the new rate.

Truck drivers, unhappy at haulage rates which had remained unchanged for the past eight years staged a protest outside the port authority building on August 18.

The massive strike by around 10,000 truck drivers at Ningbo’s Beilun Container Port erupted into violence on August 20, as protestors clashed with riot police and smashed the windshields of trucks crossing the picket line.

The city’s transportation association had issued a notice on July 15, stating that haulage rates should increase on average by 12 percent but drivers complained that many freight companies had refused to increase rates in line with the industry association’s notice.

Moreover, drivers said, they had to contend with numerous port and container charges, unreasonable port management, irregular working hours, and skyrocketing diesel prices.

The protests are said to be easing up, but are expected to resume throughout the weekend.