Port's growth ambitions may be thwarted as shipments reassigned to other harbors

The explosions at Tianjin Port may sink its ambition to become the world's third-busiest port by handling capacity this year, insiders said on Monday.

They said a number of companies are likely to use other northern ports as alternatives to Tianjin which, according to chineseport.cn, was the world's fourth-biggest port last year.

Chen Yingming, executive vice-president of the China Port and Harbors Association in Shanghai, said that although operations at Tianjin Port have returned to normal following last week's warehouse blasts, its handling capacity will be reassigned to other major ports.