COSCO unit tops global peers in container handling

COSCO Shipping Holdings Co, the container shipping and terminal operation unit of China COSCO Shipping Corp, has been ranked first in terms of container handling during the third quarter of this year, outshining Denmark's Maersk Line, according to global shipping consultancy Alphaliner.

State-owned COSCO Shipping Holdings lifted 5.49 million TEU (20-foot container units) in the third quarter, a 23 percent increase from the same period last year, surpassing Maersk's 5.26 million TEU, according to Alphaliner data published this week.

Dong Liwan, a shipbuilding professor at Shanghai Maritime University, said the triumph came as China has been ramping up efforts to boost its shipping sector.