Tianjin's harbour remains closed to all imports and exports of goods - liquids or solids - with 'UN Number' hazard identification, as part of China's reaction to the huge explosion last year that killed 160 people. China is continuing extensive safety inspections of companies handling dangerous goods. As the key port for exports of chemicals from the industrial heartlands of Hebei Province and further afield, the idea that the harbour would simply be closed seemed very unlikely, yet that is what has happened. For chemical enterprises based within the catchment area of Tianjin's port, the extra cost of diverting their cargoes via Qingdao or Dalian ports is ruinous, adding many thousands of Chinese renminbi per container in cost.
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