Shanghai, a pivotal international shipping hub, is actively pursuing advancements in its shipping industry, aiming to set new records in shipbuilding and apply smart digital technologies to shipping management.
The city boasts an advanced shipbuilding industry, excelling in the construction of large vessels and specialized ships.
At the Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries shipyard, construction is underway on the world's largest piling vessel, measuring 150 meters in length.
Piling vessels have a wide range of applications, ranging from constructing cross-sea bridges to offshore wind farms and oil and gas platforms. The construction of these vessels demands meticulous attention to detail.
"Both the manufacturing and installation of components require precise accuracy, so it's important that thermal expansion and contraction are consistent during the welding process," said Li Jie, a designer with the company.
Apart from shipbuilding, Shanghai has enhanced its ship management capabilities by utilizing technologies such as satellite positioning and 5G.
With the integration of these technologies, the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration can effectively monitor ship movements, particularly those carrying hazardous goods, to ensure maritime safety.
"Those marked in red with bubbles are ships with hazardous goods. This highlighted display is intended to help us monitor and provide reminders to them," said Shen Baoxing, deputy director of the administration's vessel traffic management center.
A container terminal at the Shanghai Port has also undergone technological upgrades, enabling positioning and navigation technologies to efficiently direct containers to their designated vehicles.
"5G technology can penetrate certain steel barriers, enabling us to transmit signals more accurately to our unmanned vehicles. This allows them to stop precisely at designated positions, thereby enhancing the operational efficiency of our bridge cranes," said Zhou Wei, general manager of a container terminal company.
Shanghai advances shipping industry with digital transformation, ambitious shipbuilding
The Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) has created a benchmark for its peers nationwide with its streamlined customs clearance and government approvals, bringing slashed costs and speedier logistics for enterprises.
At Shanghai's largest cold chain logistics center for fruits, nearly 10,000 containers are imported annually from South America alone.
To keep tropical fruits fresh after traveling thousands of miles, a new international trade mechanism has been developed and perfected in the city's FTZ.
"Previously, foreign ships were not allowed to engage in coastal transport within China. So bananas from South America had to be routed through Busan, South Korea, before reaching the three major ports in north China. Now, with the FTZ allowing coastal transport by foreign vessels, bananas can be transferred directly from Yangshan Port to the three northern ports, reducing shipping time by one to two weeks and significantly cutting costs for companies," said Jiang Jianli, logistics director of Goodfarmer Foods Holding Group.
The Shanghai Port now handles over 49 million standard containers annually, or an average of 1.5 containers are processed per second.
Managing such a high volume of ships and goods while maintaining order requires advanced systems. A decade ago, companies had to physically submit piles of documents for customs. Now, the process has gone digital.
"The Shanghai International Trade Single Window links 22 regulatory departments, including customs and maritime affairs departments, into one platform. This provides businesses with one-stop service and automated real-time declarations around the clock," said Zhang Jie, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce.
The system has reduced the time required for cargo declarations from one day to half an hour and for ship declarations from two days to two hours.
It now supports over one-quarter of China's foreign trade, facilitating the country's exports and imports. Items like Spanish ham, New Zealand honey, Mongolian cashmere, Syrian soap, Pakistani handicrafts, coffee beans from East Timor and international beauty brands now reach the Chinese market more quickly.
Trade facilitation in the FTZ has played a crucial role in the China International Import Expo (CIIE), held annually since 2018.
"Global products now become available in Shanghai instantly after they are launched, which is very convenient," said a local resident.
Businesses benefit from streamlined processes and consumers enjoy faster access to products, thanks to the government's proactive efforts.
The average approval time for business licenses has been cut by 90 percent, and the required application materials have been reduced by 70 percent.
More than 300 business-related approval items are now fully processed online, boosting innovation and entrepreneurship.
Beyond food and consumer goods, the FTZ has also made waves in the art world.
The Shanghai FTZ was the first to implement the system for temporary entry of cultural relics, doubling their permitted stay in China.
Artifacts can enter bonded warehouses within 24 hours of arrival and be displayed or traded across the country while under bonded status.
From 2013 to 2023, the total value of cultural relics and artworks entering and leaving the Shanghai FTZ reached over 100 billion yuan (more than 14. 16 billion U.S. dollars). The number of art pieces processed annually at the FTZ grew from less than 100 to more than 10,000.
In the Lingang New Area, a part of the FTZ, smart heavy-duty trucks, taxis, and buses have become part of daily life.
Five years ago, the first wholly foreign-owned vehicle manufacturing project in China was launched in Lingang, completing construction and starting production within the same year.
Since the establishment of the Lingang New Area five years ago, its GDP has grown by an average of 19.8 percent annually, industrial output of major businesses by 34.6 percent, and fixed asset investment by 33.4 percent.
The area has also attracted around 100,000 talents with an average annual hike of 97 percent.
Streamlined clearance at Shanghai Free Trade Zone sets benchmark for efficiency
