Officials from 16 leading shipping companies attend the 2021 Port & Shipping Seminar on the High-quality Development of the Container Business. [Photo/WeChat account: Shandong-Port]

Shandong Port Group or SPG – one of the biggest port operators in the world, based in Qingdao city in East China's Shandong province – on March 24 held the strategically important 2021 Port & Shipping Seminar on the High-quality Development of Container Business in the city of Shanghai. 

The event attracted the participation of 16 leading shipping companies who were there to jointly renew their business relations, map out future commercial ventures and explore new paths to development. On top of the talks, six significant service initiatives were reportedly announced at the event.

Last year, the onslaught from the COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly took a heavy toll on the global ports and shipping industry.

SPG, which aside from being one of the world's leading port operators is No 1 in Northeast Asia in terms of container throughput, took the lead by introducing innovative policies to ameliorate the negative impact on international business.

Its shipping carrier partners also reciprocated in response to SPG's help and support. They resumed suspended services, opened new shipping routes and launched the first fruit express services from Qingdao Port to Southeast Asia, while also expanding services at SPG. These actions reportedly reinforced the feeling that the strong business relationship between SPG and the shipping freight carriers remained rock solid.

With the goal of building itself into an international shipping hub center in Northeast Asia, SPG chose Shanghai - where many of the top global carriers are based - to hold the seminar.

By visiting the world's top carriers and exchanging views with them on the shipping business, SPG was reportedly seeking to upgrade itself as internationally renowned shipping hub. As such, joint efforts are planned to improve its weak areas in shipping services and the general business environment - in so doing helping the group make better use of national strategies and stimulating regional economic growth.

During the event, SPG Chairman Huo Gaoyuan praised partner carriers for their longstanding support and concern for his group and listened to their suggestions on its container business development.

Huo shared three "wish lists" with attendees to firm up confidence to expand business at SPG, because its strategic location would enable carriers to secure an important position in the new development pattern; for carriers to seize the development opportunities together with SPG amid the new development pattern; and to bring more maritime business to Qingdao as SPG seeks higher growth and deeper partnerships for its future development.

The carriers also shared their insights regarding port and shipping operations, as well as SPG's future development. They praised SPG's achievements in port integration, as well as expressed positive expectations for their future partnership. 

In addition, SPG rolled out six practical service measures which included several improvements to service efficiency standards, premium service brands and empty container service efficiency – as well as the planned roll out of cold chain worry-free services, smart port services and extensions of service subsidies. 

By so doing, greater efforts are expected to be made to turn SPG into a hub for empty container repositioning in Northeast Asia and a distribution center for consumer goods in North China.

It is the commonly held view in the sector that over a long period of time, ports and carriers are effectively as close as families. In fact, since 2020 the COVID-19-driven port congestion created great problems hindering the shipping industry, where reefer containers were unable to be offloaded, a situation which invoked widespread industry concern.

SPG said it understood the difficulties faced by carriers, prompting it to take forceful measures to support their development and offer more preferential policies.

Huo added that the friendship, growth and mutually beneficial collaboration between SPG and partner carriers would help sustain future development. He said they would continue to deepen their invaluable partnership, by mounting concerted efforts and forging ahead steadily and with solidarity.