The port and shipping seminar on Shandong Port Group's (SPG) container business for the 2024 Spring Festival kicked off in Qingdao on Feb 1, inviting representatives from over 10 ocean carriers, including COSCO SHIPPING, MSC, Evergreen, and Zhonggu, to discuss development goals for ports and shipping and jointly pursue the high-quality development of the container business.

The port and shipping seminar on Shandong Port Group's container business for the 2024 Spring Festival kicks off in Qingdao on Feb 1.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Last year, SPG achieved breakthroughs in integrated container operation and further consolidated its position as an international shipping hub in Northeast Asia by leveraging its pivotal role. Meanwhile, the group's solid services have won wide recognition from the market. In 2023, shipping companies opened over 30 container services at SPG, which has not only driven the rapid growth of SPG's container volume but also contributed to its business growth.

SPG stepped up efforts to optimize services throughout 2023 by working together with port-related institutions like customs and entry-exit inspection and quarantine to implement over 50 innovations. It has upgraded the Qingdao-Port net to version 2.0 to meet SPG's aim of offering integrated supply chain solutions. This contributed to Qingdao's first-place position nationally in terms of port business environment in the Top 10 Container Port Business Environment Evaluation. It was the only city to receive a 4.5-star rating. Furthermore, the Qingdao Port fully automated container terminal has broken the world record in automatic terminal handling efficiency for the 10th time, earning itself a global reputation as a highly efficient port.

During the seminar, ocean carriers shared their views on the "new three", "empty container relocation" and "intermodal transportation", expressing eagerness to strengthen ties with SPG. Yang Tao, deputy general manager of COSCO SHIPPING Lines (Qingdao) Co Ltd, said that he was confident in SPG's facilities and capacity, would deploy more trade routes to Europe, South America and Southeast Asia at SPG this year, and would jointly explore the "new three" cargo system, with a view to strengthening cooperation.

Ports have stood in solidarity with ocean carriers through thick and thin. This year, SPG will make all-out efforts to build a port-centered integrated supply chain service system and strengthen strategic partnerships and with ocean carriers so as to jointly embark on a new journey of high-quality development.