From January to July, China’s major ports handled 10.44 billion tons of cargo throughput, a year-on-year increase of 4.4%, with domestic and foreign trade throughput growing by 5.3% and 2.4% respectively. Container throughput reached 200 million TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 6.2%.
In the first half of the year, the top ten major ports in China by container throughput were: Shanghai Port (1st), Ningbo-Zhoushan Port (2nd), Shenzhen Port (3rd), Qingdao Port (4th), Guangzhou Port (5th), Tianjin Port (6th), Xiamen Port (7th), Suzhou Port (8th), Beibu Gulf Port (9th), and Rizhao Port (10th).
Since the beginning of this year, despite uncertainties in the international container shipping market, it has maintained growth. According to CTS data, East Asia’s export container volume increased by 6% year-on-year in the first half of the year. East Asia has the highest import container volume globally, proving the prosperity of East Asian exports and intra-Asian trade, which supports the stable growth of Chinese and Asian ports.
The two major ports in the Yangtze River Delta, Shanghai Port and Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, handled 31.68 million TEUs and 24.62 million TEUs respectively, with year-on-year growth of 4.4% and 9.4%, having no rivals domestically. Internationally, Singapore Port handled 25.58 million TEUs in the first seven months, a year-on-year increase of 7.4%. Additionally, ports such as Shenzhen (growth rate 8.8%), Qingdao (7.8%), Guangzhou (6.8%), Laem Chabang (10.5%), and Tanjung Pelepas (15.4% in the first half) also maintained high growth rates.
Within the Bohai Rim port cluster, Shandong Ports maintained their consistently high growth rate. Its leading port, Qingdao Port, handled 19.24 million TEUs in the first seven months, a year-on-year increase of 7.8%. Amid the tariff war and global supply chain adjustments, Qingdao Port optimized its route network, opening several new routes to emerging markets such as the Middle East, South America, and Africa. By the end of July, it had added 13 new container routes and 5 new sea-rail intermodal routes. In the future, the first phase of the container terminal at the Langya Taiwan operation area of Dongjiakou Port Area will soon commence construction, adding a large new container port area to Qingdao Port and planning ahead for container business development.
In the Pearl River Delta port cluster, Shenzhen Port handled 20.36 million TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 8.8%. In the first seven months, Shenzhen’s total import and export value reached 2.58 trillion yuan, flat compared to the same period last year, maintaining its position as the top foreign trade city in mainland China. With foreign trade volume remaining flat but throughput surging, it indicates a change in the types and sources of cargo at Shenzhen Port. Currently, transshipment trade at Shenzhen Port has increased to 22% of total throughput. This year, Shenzhen Port continues to promote international transshipment consolidation and whole-vessel exchange services, adding 3 new cross-border e-commerce express routes. In the first seven months, Shenzhen’s bonded logistics import and export value reached 699.28 billion yuan, an increase of 13.7%. In terms of hinterland, as of June, Shenzhen Port has opened 43 combined port routes, 33 sea-rail intermodal routes, and established 22 inland ports.
In the first half of the year, the top ten major ports in China by cargo throughput were: Ningbo-Zhoushan Port (1st), Tangshan Port (2nd), Shanghai Port (3rd), Qingdao Port (4th), Guangzhou Port (5th), Rizhao Port (6th), Suzhou Port (7th), Tianjin Port (8th), Yantai Port (9th), and Beibu Gulf Port (10th).
From January to July this year, China imported 697 million tons of iron ore, a decrease of 2.3%; 327 million tons of crude oil, an increase of 2.8%; 257 million tons of coal; 70.144 million tons of natural gas, a decrease of 6.9%; 61.035 million tons of soybeans, an increase of 4.6%; and 23.391 million tons of refined oil products, a decrease of 16.6%, with the average price falling by 4%. The overall decline in bulk cargo imports has led to a low overall growth rate in foreign trade cargo throughput. In manufacturing, the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for July was 49.3%, below the boom-bust line for the fourth consecutive month, indicating weak domestic demand that may further limit the growth of China’s port cargo throughput. The top three ports, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, Tangshan Port, and Shanghai Port, all maintained low growth rates.
Among the top ten ports, Yantai Port and Beibu Gulf Port had relatively high growth rates. Yantai Port handled 315.89 million tons in the first seven months, a year-on-year increase of 6.5%. In June this year, the new interprovincial sea-rail intermodal corridor of the Delong-Yan Railway was fully opened, extending the port’s hinterland and business boundaries deeper into central and western regions. As Shandong Ports’ commercial vehicle logistics base and the commercial vehicle logistics hub port in northern China, Yantai Port seized the “new trend” of exporting the “new three” items (new energy vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products). Several large new ro-ro ships chose Yantai Port for their maiden voyages. In the first seven months of this year, Yantai Port handled 452,000 commercial vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 4.6%.
Beibu Gulf Port has been growing rapidly in recent years. From January to July, it handled 279.01 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 8.7%. This year, all cargo types at Beibu Gulf Port advanced simultaneously, with 4 new routes added and the first ro-ro route successfully launched. Beibu Gulf International Container Terminal obtained approval for direct loading and unloading operations of dangerous goods containers; its first dry bulk automated berth was officially put into operation; and in the first half of the year, sea-rail intermodal transport volume reached 251,000 TEUs. This year, Beibu Gulf Port aims to reach the target of 10 million TEUs.
Amid uncertain international economic and trade conditions and weak domestic demand, China’s ports have maintained stable growth in container and cargo throughput, which is no easy feat. However, the fundamental basis of port throughput is economic development. In the first seven months, China’s trade with the US decreased by 11.1% year-on-year; other countries have successively introduced restrictions on transshipped goods targeting Chinese exports; and bulk commodity imports continue to decline. These factors test the market development capabilities of China’s ports. How long Chinese ports can continue to grow against the trend remains a question.
