¡¡¡¡In 2007, cargo transportation on the Yangtze River came up with strong demand and continued to maintain rapid growth. Major ports completed 911 million tons of cargo throughput, a 15.6% rise on 2006. Of that, foreign trade cargo throughput reached 114 million tons, with year-on-year growth at 19.5%; container throughput reached 5.512 million TEU, up by 37%; inter-provincial roll-on/roll-off shipping delivered 385,000 transport vehicles and operating revenue was RMB 847 million, up by 23% and 28.3% respectively.
¡¡¡¡During 2008, a more diversified international market, increasing amount of bulk goods transport, large-scale development of the western region, central China's surge as well as the the Yangtze River Delta's rapid economic development, will all further promote material exchanges among the eastern, central and western parts, bringing adequate supply into the Yangtze waterway transportation. The Yangtze River's major ports are expected to break through 1 billion tons in 2008, up 15% on 2007.

¡¡¡¡Container transport: substantial surge

¡¡¡¡Following Suzhou Port, Nanjing Port and Nantong Port (all of whom are listed in the billion-ton ports along the Yangtze), in 2007 Nanjing Port and Taicang Port both exceeded the 1 million TEU mark in their container throughput, with their internal trade container throughput volumes also recorded as 156,000 TEU and 411,000 TEU. In addition, Chongqing Port and Wuhan Port also reached 160,000 TEU and 82,000 TEU - indicating a substantial surge.
¡¡¡¡This substantial increase in container transport volume during the past years grows out of ever-booming container transport serving international trade. In 2008, high value-added goods will enjoy even faster growth in cargo structure, the proportion of container groceries will grow higher and higher, more goods will be available and ready for container transportation, thus container transportation in internal trade will probably maintain its strong momentum. It is expected in 2008 that container throughput by the Yangtze River major ports will break 7.5 million TEU, up by 36.1% over 2007.

¡¡¡¡Metal ores and steel transport: steady growth

¡¡¡¡In 2007, China imported up to 370 million tons of iron ore, a y-o-y increase of 13.4%. And it is expected to grow by 13% to 437 million tons in 2008. Metal ores have become the largest port transported category along the Yangtze; while the total throughput was 200 million tons, a 28% increase over the previous year, accounting for 21.9% of all categories delivered here. Throughput of iron ore, particularly, achieved 160 million tons, a 20.3% rise, comprising 17.6% of all.
¡¡¡¡During 2008, metal ores and steel freight volume by the Yangtze possibly will remain its current steady growth, with metal ores transportation predicted to increase 12% to 224 million tons. Of this, iron ore will develop about 10%, reaching 176 million tons; steel up by 6%.

¡¡¡¡Coal transportation: larger slow down

¡¡¡¡Global coal output broke through 6 billion tons during 2007, up by 7% compared with the previous year's 5.6 billion record. China's 2007 coal production hit 2.55 billion tons, an extra 170 million tons, up 7.1%, making China the world's largest coal producer. However, in 2007 China also, for the first time, became a net coal importer.
¡¡¡¡Power generated along the Yangtze River currently exceeds 30% of the country's total, posing a still strong demand for coal. But on the other hand, the state's macro control, together with strong advocacy for environmentally sustainable solutions to reduce energy consumption, has contributed gradually to slowing growing demand for coal, oil and similar resources. In 2007, major ports along the Yangtze completed coal throughput of 179 million tons, a 23% increase over 2006, accounting for 19.6% the Yangtze's total cargo throughput, also a similar share to that from the previous year. Coal ranks the second largest cargo category on the Yantgtze, and so demand for it has provided an adequate supply in recent times.

¡¡¡¡Oil and its products transport: significant drop

¡¡¡¡2007 global crude oil and gas condensate output finished at about 3.618 billion tons. China's crude oil production reached 187 million tons, a 1.7% rise, the fifth worldwide. Imported crude oil was 160 million tons, an increase of 10.3%; and 36.38 million tons of refined oil was imported at the same time, up 15.7%. During this year, all Yangtze major ports handled 65.526 million tons of oil and its products, decreasing 11.6%, accounting for 7.2% in the total. Due to this extra 2.2% decline compared with the previous year, the proportion of oil and its products fell to the fifth place in all.
¡¡¡¡In 2008, China's crude oil output will reach 189 million tons, up about 1.6%, with stable and sustainable growth to remain. Large quantity of oil will have to be imported as the domestic oil production can not meet huge actual demand. This is because, firstly, in contrast to the accelerated product oil production, domestic crude oil production has been, and will continue to be, restricted due to resource constraints. Secondly, as China's economy has been developing rapidly and stably, refined oil consumption will further increase and oil import will go up swiftly as well. Then, when the Ningbo Yonghu imported crude oil pipeline can optimise transport structure and reduce import transfers,  2008 will see the Yangtze River crude oil transport mark continue to shrink.

¡¡¡¡Cement, construction materials: accelerating

¡¡¡¡China is and important global cement consumer as well as producer. Cement output in 2007 hit a new record high, breaking 1.35 billion tons, an increase of 14%. In 2008, impacted by the slower investment in fixed assets, particularly in real estate development, plus the state restrictions on export of cement and its products, cement output increase is predicted to drop back to between 10% and 13%. Cement transportation, however, along the Yangtze River trunk will rise by up to 10%.
¡¡¡¡In recent years, since the government has enlarged investment in infrastructure construction, and large-scale infrastructure projects such as the Three Gorges reservoir areas have started, transport of construction-applied ore materials has grown rapidly. Additionally, expansion of cities, transformation of old cities and real estate development are fully in their wing. Shanghai Dayangshan Port and Xiaoyangshan Port, port construction along the Yangtze River, Central China economic development as well as the Western China development scheme - all these major construction projects will drive up demand for ore materials. It is estimated that in 2008 there will be a roughly 11% rise in transportation of such materials along the Yangtze.