Yibin, a city in south western China's Sichuan province, has set up a joint venture with Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) to develop and operate the Port of Yibin, Xinhua reported.

The Port of Yibin, located at the confluence of Yangtze, the Minjiang and the Jinshajiang rivers, is planned to have 11 port areas with a working coast line of 75 kilometres. Its capacity will grow to four million TEU in 2030.

Yibin Port's Zhicheng port area, the largest port area in Sichuan, started construction end of December last year. The whole development project is planned to cost a total of CNY1.3 billion (US$190.2 million). So far, CNY200 million has been invested.

Yibin's partnership with SIPG will bring itself support in finance and professional experience, enhancing the port's competitiveness, said the report.

When China joined the World Trade Organisation, members were allowed to impose barriers to meet "market disruptions" caused by Chinese imports. WTO members retain this right until December 11, 2013, reported American Shipper. In the US, these China-specific restrictions called "Section 421 safeguards".

"If the administration grants relief in the tyre case, it will invite many more 421 petitions from companies who stand to benefit from gaining market protection from Chinese competition," Lewis Leibowitz, lawyer for the Consuming Industries Trade Action Coalition, told a Washington panel ahead of the president's decision.