Rugao Port handled more than 70,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent unit) during the first quarter of this year, representing an increase of 6.6 percent year-on-year, according to the local administration.

The container throughput for domestic and foreign trade grew 3.3 percent and 56 percent, despite the novel coronavirus outbreak worldwide.

"The growth resulted from several major projects, including the import of national cotton reserves and the export of grains," said Shi Mingding, general manager of the container terminal.

Like many other ports across the country, Rugao Port also encountered a lot of difficulties during the outbreak, such as transport restrictions and overstocked containers. 

"We've worked to solve the problems by using smaller vessels and adding routes," said Ding. "During the outbreak, we transported more than 200 containers to Hubei province, ensuring that local people could receive daily necessities in a timely way."

The port partnered with several world-leading shipping companies last year, which also played a significant role in maintaining growth. According to Shi, the port plans to introduce more routes in an effort to promote its foreign trade this year.