Interim Report 2023

9 INTERIM REPORT 2023 Pearl River Delta region The r eg i on wa s s ub j e c t t o t he significant impact by foreign trade and industrial structure, and the container business has been on a downward trend with the market. The Group’s terminals in the West Shenzhen Port Zone handled a container throughput of 5.53 million TEUs, down by 7.6% year-on-year, which was affected by overall downturn of the regional market; and handled a bulk cargo volume of 4.24 million tonnes, up by 6.2% year-on-year. Chu Kong River Trade Terminal Co., Limited handled a container throughput of 0.44 million TEUs, up by 2.8% year- on-year; and handled a bulk cargo volume of 1.68 million tonnes, representing a decrease of 8.5% year-on-year, which was mainly due to the import decline as a result of market environment and policy factors. China Merchants Container Services Limited and Modern Terminals Limited in Hong Kong delivered an aggregate container throughput of 1.97 million TEUs, down by 21.1% year-on-year, which was mainly affected by lower import and export demand in Europe and the United States. Yangtze River Delta region The regional business steadily improved and the hinterland industry has seen better resilience. Shanghai International Port (Group) Co., Ltd. handled a container throughput of 23.74 million TEUs, up by 5.3% year-on-year; and handled a bulk cargo volume of 42.39 million TEUs, up by 40.8% year- on-year, which was mainly due to a lower base resulting from the impact of the pandemic during the same period of 2022. Ningbo Daxie China Merchants International Terminals Co., Ltd. (“ Ningbo Daxie ”) handled a container throughput of 1.40 million TEUs, down by 18.9% year-on-year, which was mainly attributed to a higher base resulting from excess increment from regional terminals in the same period of 2022. Bohai Rim region Regional divergence was greater with container and bulk cargoes performing differently. In the first half of 2023, Liaoning Port Co., Ltd. handled a container throughput of 5.33 million TEUs, up by 13.9% year-on-year, which was mainly benefitted from the recovery of international shipping routes; and handled a bulk cargo volume of 119.11 million tonnes, down by 6.7% year-on-year, which was mainly affected by the adjustment of goods structure and the lower import demand of raw materials. Through enhancement of regional coordination and newly added shipping routes, Qingdao Qianwan United Container Terminal Co., Ltd. handled a container throughput of 5.24 million TEUs, representing an increase of 18.2% year-on-year. Qingdao Qianwan West Port United Terminal Co., Ltd. handled a bulk cargo volume of 6.85 million tonnes, representing a decrease of 20.7% year-on-year, which was mainly due to the sluggish regional markets. Qingdao Port Dongjiakou Ore Terminal Co., Ltd. handled a bulk cargo volume of 38.45 million tonnes, down by 0.5% year-on-year. Tianjin Port Container Terminal Co., Ltd. contributed a container throughput of 4.06 million TEUs, representing a decrease of 6.1% year-on-year, which was mainly affected by the decrease in international cargoes.