Shanghai Port became the first in the world to see the annual container throughput exceed 50 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) on Sunday, according to SIPG's release. The port has ranked first globally for 14 consecutive years in terms of annual container throughput.
According to Yang Yanbin, deputy general manager of the production and business department of the Shanghai International Port (Group) Co., Ltd (SIPG), the growth of container throughput indicates that China's complete industrial system and manufacturing capability continue to empower global trade.
Shanghai Port saw its annual container throughput top 1 million in 1994. Yang noted that the growth in container throughput at Shanghai Port was driven not only by the rise in export-heavy containers but also by an increase in international transfer containers and ship-to-ship transfer volumes.
"The port's robust functionality and high-quality services attract large cargo ships from around the world," he said, adding that the proportion of ship-to-ship transfers at the port is expected to reach a record 60 percent in 2024, which highlights the continued enhancement of Shanghai Port's role as a global hub.
At present, the Shanghai Port boasts nearly 350 international ship routes reaching more than 700 ports in over 200 countries and regions around the world.
According to Shanghai Customs, the daily import and export value of goods handled by Shanghai Port averages 29.8 billion yuan (about $4 billion), about 1.24 billion yuan per hour. In recent years the application of science and technology has greatly improved the efficiency of terminal operations. In 2017, the Yangshan phase IV automated terminal became operational, helping Shanghai Port surpass the 40 million TEU container throughput milestone that year. With a 70 percent reduction in workforce, the terminal's overall efficiency increased by 30 percent, while per capita labor productivity reached 213 percent of that at a traditional terminal.
In April, the Shanghai Port successfully completed its first ship-to-ship synchronous green methanol fueling operation for large container ships. Luo Wenbin, general manager of SIPG energy, noted that the next step would be to transform Shanghai Port into a "green energy fueling center."