In early September 2025, Ningbo Zhoushan Port advanced its throughput milestone, moving it forward from the end of October in 2024 to September this year.
According to the port, this acceleration reflects both rising cargo volumes and adjustments to global trade patterns.
Ningbo Zhoushan Port has continued infrastructure expansion under its “one port, two cores, twenty zones” plan, including large-scale projects at the Meishan, Jintang, Daxie, and Liuheng port areas.
Construction of container berths capable of handling over ten million TEU and bulk cargo berths with annual capacity of over one hundred million tons is progressing, while utilization of deep-water coastlines and the ability to receive large vessels have improved.
The port now operates 308 container shipping routes, with nearly 300 vessel calls daily, connecting major ports on five continents. Its connectivity index ranks second worldwide.
In April 2025, Ningbo Zhoushan Port launched a dual logistics model combining “sea-rail express” and “ocean express.” This offers direct shipment of “new three” goods and e-commerce cargo to Europe, reducing transit time by more than ten days compared with traditional methods.
Later this month, the “China-Europe Arctic Express” will depart from Ningbo Zhoushan Port, reaching the Port of Felixstowe in 18 days. The port is also advancing digitalization and automation. Its proprietary “n-TOS+iECS” system supports remote-controlled cranes and unmanned trucks, while the S-ECP platform enables cloud-based coordination of over one hundred gantry cranes.
Smart stowage systems have cut crane operating time by more than one thousand minutes in certain loadings. A “Beidou+AI navigation” program has lowered vehicle deviation inside terminals by more than 10 percent and improved gate efficiency by 7 percent.
Institutional measures include vessel berth reservation and the “container shipping punctuality cost reduction” program, developed with Zhejiang Maritime Bureau. Regular coordination with shipping companies and customs has also been established.
The hinterland network has expanded with more than 110 rail-sea intermodal lines reaching 68 cities across 16 provinces. Cargo such as new energy vehicles can travel from Chongqing to the port in three days, saving nearly two weeks compared with traditional logistics.
Ningbo Zhoushan Port now operates 39 inland dry ports and promotes the “Zhejiang e-port” model, which allows shippers in inland cities to complete customs, port, and shipping procedures before goods reach the terminal. This model covers 24 sites in cities including Xi’an, Hefei, and Chongqing. Port officials said the rise in throughput was not a temporary fluctuation but the result of improvements in scheduling, service response, and structural adaptation.
Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group Co., Ltd. is a state-owned enterprise in Zhejiang Province, China. It was established through the merger of Ningbo Port and Zhoushan Port and operates under the supervision of the Zhejiang Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.