TIANJIN port in northern China handled a record amount of cargo in February with throughput climbing 28.5 per cent to 253,000 TEU and the volume of cargo passing through the port rising 44.2 per cent year-on-year to 14.16 million tons.

Meanwhile, the total value of imports and exports handled at Tianjin port during the first two months of the year rose 30 per cent over the same period in 2003 to US$8.37 billion.

In January and February, the total value of imports handled by the port climbed 37.5 per cent over 2003 to $3.88 billion, while the total value of exports increased by 24.2 per cent to $4.49 billion during the same period.

The total value of trade with Japan stood at $1.44 billion, US trade amounted to $1.42 billion, while trade with South Korea amounted to $1.15 billion, followed by Germany at $440 million during the first two months of the year.

Xinhua reported that India is now Tianjin's fifth largest trading partner. Trade between the south Asia nation and the Chinese port rose 120 per cent to $270 million over January and February.

As a result of this growth, port authorities have decided to invest CNY387 million (US$46 million) this year in building a terminal for break bulk cargo at Tianjin.