China Taicang Port Development Zone, the largest foreign trade port area in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, has become a key production base for manufacturers from China and abroad. Located at the southern bank of the Yangtze river estuary, the zone covers an area of 261.8 square kilometers and now hosts 26 Fortune 500 companies, including big names like Procter & Gamble and BP Global. Some 25 state-owned enterprises and 15 U.S. companies have also invested in the area in the past few years. The short travel distance between Shanghai and Taicang allows companies to transport goods conveniently. The port of Taicang occupies some 38.8 kilometers of waterfront on the Yangtze river and features well-developed deep-draft berths. By the end of 2012, Taicang Port had built 28 berths for 10,000 DWT vessels, including 10 container berths. Its cargo capacity has reached 97 million tons, with container throughput amounting to 4.35 million TEU. In the near future, the port will have 172 productive berths, including 82 berths capable of accommodating 10,000 DWT vessels. Its planned cargo throughput will reach 282 million tons, and container throughput is expected to be 21million TEU annually. Founded in 1992, the zone was upgraded to a national high-tech zone in 2011. Last year, the gross regional product of the zone reached CNY21.6 billion, with the industrial output value amounting to CNY73.6 billion. With a history of more than 15 years, the zone has become one of the key high-tech parks for the petrol and chemical industries in China. It is also the most important economic zone in the Yangtze River Delta, the China Daily reports.