June 20, 2025 – The 6th Qingdao Multinationals Summit，The "Ten Thousand Enterprises Go Global · Shandong Trade Worldwide" China-Africa Trade Procurement Matchmaking Conference concluded successfully. The event further highlighted Qingdao Port pivotal role as a golden hub along the Belt and Road, strengthening its position as a logistics nexus in China-Africa trade. More African goods are now being distributed through Qingdao Port, enhancing its influence and competitiveness in global shipping. Guided by the "Ten Partnership Actions," Qingdao Port is actively building a comprehensive maritime network connecting China and Africa. Customs data shows that in the first five months of 2025, Qingdao’s exports to Africa exceeded 60 billion yuan, a 30% year-on-year increase, solidifying its role as a strategic fulcrum for China-Africa cooperation.

Weaving a Network: From Northern Hub to Pan-African Coverage
At Qingdao Port, COSCO SHIPPING’s weekly direct route to Southeast Africa is loading containers of Sentury Tires—a route that slashes transit time from 40 to 20 days. This is just one of Qingdao Port’s nine direct Africa routes, making it the northern Chinese port with the most Africa-bound sailings, highest frequency, and widest coverage. Its network spans key African hubs like Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Tema, and Lomé, while its 32 international rail links create a "sea-rail intermodal" network across 23 Belt and Road countries. In Q1 2025, Africa-bound cargo volume surged by 30%, with "Made in China" smart products like EVs and construction machinery accounting for 75%, showcasing the efficiency of this "Maritime Golden Corridor."

Beyond infrastructure, Qingdao Port has upgraded "soft connectivity," forming sister-port ties with Egypt’s Alexandria and Togo’s Lomé, sharing smart-port expertise. Innovations like consolidated shipping have cut logistics costs, enabling Hisense’s South Africa industrial park to deliver over a million appliances annually, while Sentury’s Morocco plant benefits from streamlined supply chains.

Smart Empowerment: Digital Solutions Boost Trade Efficiency
On Qingdao Port’s "Cloud Port" platform, blockchain has reduced import container pickup from 4 hours to 20 minutes, cutting carbon emissions by 15%. Upgraded "direct shipside pickup" in 2025 shortened customs clearance by 3-7 hours, aided by zero-tariff policies for African goods like coffee and cocoa.

Green initiatives are equally striking: smart rail and ship-to-ship transfers lowered energy use per container by 8% in early 2025. Haier’s Ethiopia solar microgrids, prioritized at the port, now power 5,000 rural households.

Bridging Lives: From Cargo Hub to People-to-People Bonds
Qingdao Port is also a bridge for friendship. In Ethiopia’s Adama, Qingjian Group’s children’s hospital project relies on port logistics, while Qingdao Agricultural University’s farm equipment supports African agri-training centers. With plans for three new Africa routes and digital links to African free-trade ports, Qingdao Port aims to cut logistics costs by 20%. "We’re not just a transit point but a catalyst for China-Africa industrial synergy," said a port official. From maritime expressways to development fast tracks, Qingdao Port is powering the China-Africa community with shared future, scripting new chapters of win-win cooperation.(This article is from the official website of Seetao www.seetao.com. Reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited. Please indicate Seetao.com + original link when reprinting) Seetao.com Strategy Column Editor/Sun Fengjuan