[photopress:logistics_shanghai.jpg,full,alignright]Shanghai port has implemented new strategies focusing on the Yangtze River, Northeast Asia and global operations to reinforce its position as an international shipping center and ease it ahead of the others. It wants to move this forward and develop into a major maritime hub in Asia such as Singapore and Hong Kong which is ould like very much, please, to surpass.
Lu Haihu, chairman of Shanghai International Port Group, said, ‘The Yangtze River strategy involves cooperation and strategic alliances along the Yangtze River, improvement of container handling service levels at Shanghai port as well as at inland ports.’
The strategy involves using management skills, capital and technology to strengthen the cargo consolidation network and develop hinterland cargo sources to serve the Yangtze River Delta.
The idea seems to be that getting the feeder ports — Chongqing, Wuhan and Nanjing — up to speed and the rest of the Yangtze Delta upgraded then, it follows, Shanghai will automatically benefit.
As part of what is called the Golden Waterway Strategy — oh! Splendid name — Shanghai port will also promote upgrading of vessels and standards and the improvement of navigational and shipping capacity. The end game being a regional feeder cargo network with Shanghai as its nucleus.
Shanghai port will focus on the area’s container and cargo flow, particularly transhipment containers that go through Yangshan deep-water port.
Shanghai port expects to maintain a sustained, healthy and fairly rapid growth of its container-related businesses.
Analyst C K Wong said Shanghai port’s combined container throughput at Waigaoqiao and Yangshan terminals, is expected to exceed Singapore port’s container throughput this year and make it the busiest container port in the world.
Last year, Shanghai ports handled 26.2 million TEUs, representing a 20% growth over 2006, making it the world’s second busiest container port after Singapore. Hong Kong was pushed into third position. Singapore port registered a throughput of 27.94 million TEUs in 2007.
Source: CargoNews Asia