OVERALL throughput in December at China's seven biggest box ports grew 4.4 per cent year on year with foreign trade rising 5.9 per cent, up on the 3.9 per cent year-on- year rise it posted in November.

But domestic trade slipped 0.9 per cent in December against a 1.3 per cent increase in November, according to Citi Transportation Research data.

Pearl River Delta port volume was up 10.1 per cent with Shenzhen and Guangzhou up 10.1 per cent year on year on the back of faster growth in foreign container throughput, which increased by 15.5 per cent year on year, recording its highest growth since February 2011.

In the foreign container trade Guangzhou soared 38.8 per cent while Shenzhen's December box volume increased 10.4 per cent year on year.

Guangzhou's robust volume came from foreign boxes through its Nansha terminal, where throughput soared 46.2 per cent in December, amounting to 497,000 TEU.

In Shenzhen, Yantian's December throughput increased 6.4 per cent year on year to 996,000 TEU while posting and increase of 8.1 per cent year to date. Growth of West Shenzhen ports also accelerated 10.9 per cent year on year in December, besting November's 6.9 per cent year-on-year increase,

Yangtze River Delta ports were up 4.7 per cent. Domestic container trade was up 14.9 per cent year on year, while foreign trade increased 3.6 per cent in December.

Shanghai throughput increased 7.5 per cent year on year in December, improving on the 0.5 per cent year-on-year loss suffered in November. Ningbo slipped 1.3 per cent year on year in December, well down from the 7.8 per cent year-on-year volume gain of November.

Bohai Rim ports volumes fell 1.7 per cent in December with Dalian slipping 9.2 per cent year on year against its 1.1 per cent gain made in November. Tianjin growth slowed to 5.9 per cent year on year against the 10.3 per cent it posted in November.