TIANJIN -- Tianjin Port, a major harbor in north China and one of the busiest on the nation's coast, has recorded cargo throughput of 250.2 million tons so far this year, the Tianjin Port (Group) Co. announced on Tuesday.

It is the first Chinese port to bust the 250-million-ton mark, company sources said.

The throughput estimate for the whole year is 255 million tons, 15 million tons up on last year.

The port's container turnover will reach 5.9 million TEUs (twenty equivalent units) this year, an increment of 1.1 million TEUs on last year, the sources said.

The fast growth in cargo throughput is attributable to continuous improvement in infrastructure, said Yu Rumin, president of the Tianjin Port (Group) Co. In the next five years, Yu said, a further 36 billion yuan (4.6 billion U.S. dollars) will be invested in infrastructure.

Tianjin's Binhai New Area, where the port is located, is striving to build itself into an international shipping, distribution and delivery hub.