A bird's-eye view of the Lego-like containers at Xiamen Port, Fujian province. [Photo/WeChat account: xiamen_swj]

Xiamen Port in Xiamen, Fujian province was ranked third and fourth in terms of in-port time and at-berth time, respectively, according to a report among major ports worldwide in 2021, which was released by Shanghai Shipping Exchange, local media reported on April 25.

In-port time refers to the total time from a ship's arrival to departure, which indicates the comprehensive efficiency of port facilities and equipment, pilotage, scheduling, loading and unloading, as well as customs clearance. Xiamen Port's average in-port time was 1.35 days.

At-berth time refers to the total time spent for loading and unloading at the berth, indicating the efficiency of a port in loading and unloading operations. Xiamen Port's average at-berth time was 1.05 days.

The lower both indexes are, the higher the port's efficiency is.

Behind Xiamen Port's high efficiency were its efforts to improve quality and cut cost, build a world-class business environment, and boost high-quality development, officials from the Xiamen Port Authority said.

In recent years, Xiamen Port has been bolstering its efforts to optimize its operation efficiency, reduce the waiting time ships, and utilize intelligent platforms such as the Comprehensive Services Platform of China MSA to shorten the processing time of approval matters.