Transportation
Port integration to meet the Internet era
Seetao 2021-04-20 10:54
  • The large-scale integration of major ports is conducive to participating in the competition of the global industrial chain
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China is undergoing large-scale port integration, and these integrated ports have been transformed from destination ports to hub ports. From the perspective of the huge changes in the efficiency and cost of the terminal, the hub port mentioned here is no longer a port in the sense of the scale of cargo throughput, but a port in the sense of large-scale logistics coordination and management, which is important for world ports and global trade. Both have revolutionary significance. From this perspective, the large-scale integration of Chinese ports has surpassed the concept of the fourth generation of international ports. This kind of practical exploration will become an active attempt to meet the test of the era of interconnected trade.

The rise of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei ports

Standing on the Pacific International Container Terminal of Tianjin Port, looking up, full-loaded ocean-going container ships shuttle back and forth. In the first quarter just past, Tianjin Port completed a container throughput of 4.469 million TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 20.4%, setting a record for the same period in history; completed cargo throughput of 110 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 14.9%, achieving a good start for the first quarter. ".

Behind the gratifying development momentum of Tianjin Port, it is inseparable from the support of the neighboring Hebei "brother" ports. Thanks to the coordinated development strategy of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Tianjin-Hebei ports will “fuse” with each other, change “rivals” into “handshake”, and change competition into competition and cooperation. “Integration” is big, and the outline of a world-class port group It becomes clearer day by day.

At Huanghua Port in Cangzhou, Hebei, cargo ships of all sizes enter and exit, a busy scene. “In the past, there were many small boats in the port. Now, with the help of Tianjin Port’s management experience and route resources, large freighters are also frequenting.” Wang Jingang, assistant general manager of Cangzhou Port Group in Hebei Province, said that since the epidemic last year, Tianjin Port and Huanghua Port have been opened. The daily sea express line" links the two ports more closely together.

Also feeling the convenience is Qi Jianhui, head of the market operation department of Caofeidian Comprehensive Bonded Zone Port Co., Ltd. In the past, logs and panels imported from Wenfeng Wood Industrial Park in the Caofeidian Comprehensive Bonded Zone in Hebei had to be transported to Caofeidian by car after unloading at Tianjin Port. The logistics operation is complicated, the transportation efficiency is low, and the comprehensive cost of the enterprise is high...Practitioners have difficulties, and the problem is difficult to solve for a while, what should be done? As the curtain of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cooperation is gradually opened, in January 2018, the Bohai Rim branch line from Tianjin to Caofeidian Comprehensive Bonded Zone was opened. From then on, the imported containers were unloaded from the main line ships of Tianjin Port, directly loaded onto the feeder ships, and then transported to Caofeidian. Taking advantage of the heat, Tianjin Port and Caofeidian Port Area opened foreign trade container liner routes. Foreign trade imported container cargo does not need to go through customs clearance procedures at Tianjin Port and then transfer to Caofeidian Port. Qi Jianhui happily said that taking parallel imported cars as an example, customs clearance is directly in the Caofeidian Comprehensive Bonded Zone. "It is really convenient to reduce logistics costs by a quarter."

The two regions of Tianjin and Hebei are similar and the hinterland intersects. Although the large ports of 100 million tons next to each other are "close neighbors", they are actually "rivals." You vie for me, and don't give in to each other. Over the years, the major ports have been competing against each other on the 640-kilometer coastline, not giving way to each other, and the phenomenon of "involution" has been prominent.

Seven years ago, the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei became a national strategy, clarifying the positioning of Tianjin's northern international shipping core area, and forming cooperation and dislocation development with ports in Hebei Province. Since then, Tianjin-Hebei Port has become a "partner", with me in you and you in me. More and more ports are interacting frequently, and more and more routes are like a line connecting Qinhuangdao Port, Tangshan Port, Caofeidian Port, Tianjin Port, Huanghua Port and other large ports with a throughput of over 100 million tons. In 2014, Tianjin Port Group and Hebei Port Group jointly invested to establish Bohai Jinji Port Investment and Development Co., Ltd. to promote the coordinated development of Tianjin-Hebei ports with capital as a link; in 2016, Tianjin Port Group and Tangshan Port Group jointly established Jintang International Container Terminal Company; In 2018, the Bohai Rim branch line opened from Tianjin to Caofeidian Comprehensive Bonded Zone. Tianjin and Hebei ports have gradually moved from disorderly competition to competition and cooperation.

After 7 years of working together, the internal feeder transportation network in the Bohai Rim with Tianjin Port as the center has begun to take shape. Tianjin Port, Tangshan Port and Huanghua Port have formed a favorable pattern of linkage, seamless connection, and mutual support between branches and branches, realizing dislocation development. , Complementary advantages, marking the basic formation of the pattern of main-line hub ports and feeder ports.

Tianjin Port is a "hundred-year-old port" with 130 container liner routes, reaching more than 800 ports in more than 200 countries and regions around the world. Since the implementation of the coordinated development strategy, Tianjin Port no longer enjoys exclusive advantages, but benefits more partners. As a testament to the results of the cooperation, in 2020, Tianjin Port will have 19 branch routes within the Bohai Rim, and the Bohai Rim container volume will exceed 1 million TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 67%.

Tianjin Port has achieved good results in 2020, with container throughput exceeding 18.35 million TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 6.1%, and the growth rate ranks among the top ten ports in the world. At the same time, Jinji International Container Terminal Co., Ltd. will complete a container throughput of 723,000 TEUs in 2020, a year-on-year increase of 31.8%.

The coordinated development of Tianjin-Hebei ports is entering the fast lane. In the view of Liang Jun, deputy director of the Tianjin Development and Reform Commission and others, Tianjin-Hebei Port has formed a cooperative relationship through the establishment of capital ties, especially the container transportation cooperation has achieved remarkable results, achieving the effect of "1+1>2".

Hebei Port Group continues to implement the service promise of "I will handle it if you have anything" to provide high-quality services to upstream and downstream enterprises. Starting from the source, fully grasp the logistics chain information and build a stable transit chain relying on the advantages of the port. Qinhuangdao Port promptly organized the Qin Office of the six major shipping units to discuss the supply and demand situation, further strengthen the coordination and linkage between upstream and downstream, and provide guarantee for the transportation of energy and materials to maintain warmth in winter and spring. Caofeidian Coal Company communicates and arranges customers' annual business needs one by one, and actively strives for transfer volume in Hong Kong according to upstream and downstream customer resources.

Tianjin Port Co., Ltd. and COSCO SHIPPING Port Co., Ltd. signed an agreement on the equity transfer of Tianjin Port Container Terminal Co., Ltd. in Tianjin on February 26. COSCO Shipping Port Co., Ltd. will acquire Tianjin Port Container Terminal Co., Ltd. 34.99 from Tianjin Port Co., Ltd. % Equity. From the perspective of Tianjin Port, this signing is an initiative to better serve the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the joint construction of the "Belt and Road", and is a win-win move for deepening the cooperation in the port and shipping industry chain. This will help build Tianjin's northern international shipping hub, accelerate the construction of a world-class port, and be more conducive to the development of external routes and the incremental expansion of key routes, and realize the leap-forward development of Tianjin Port's container business.

With the empowerment of technology, the construction of the smart port of Tianjin Port has been accelerated in recent years. The traditional container terminal has been fully put into operation after the entire process is automated and upgraded. In the past, yard scheduling, quay crane operations, loading and unloading and other sites where hundreds of workers worked together have become "unmanned working areas". The first berth of the new generation of intelligent terminals under construction is expected to be put into use by the end of the year. These experiences will also be extended to more domestic ports, including Hebei Port.

A win-win situation is the way to cooperation. Today's Bohai Rim port group has a broader imagination. "In the future, Tianjin and Hebei will continue to weave the Bohai Rim route network, enhance the influence and radiation of the Tianjin-Hebei port group in the Bohai Rim and inland hinterland, improve the ability and level of serving the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, and speed up the construction of complete functions, A world-class Tianjin-Hebei port group with reasonable division of labor, dislocation development, and efficient coordination." said Chu Bin, secretary of the party committee and chairman of Tianjin Port Group.

"The integration of Tianjin-Hebei port resources has important political and economic significance for participating in world competition and seizing the high ground of global competitiveness." said Liu Binglian, dean of the Institute of Economic and Social Development of Nankai University, from the perspective of national and regional development. , The port itself is a rare location advantage and a natural open platform. Integrating Tianjin-Hebei port resources will help build Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei into the seventh largest world-class city cluster in the world, participate in the competition of the global industrial chain, and enhance the economic vitality of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

"Three Ports in One" in the North

On the shores of the Beibu Gulf, the spring tide is surging, the huge ships of 10,000 tons are shuttled back and forth, and the docks and the park are busy. The unique location advantage of "one bay for eleven countries" is becoming a strong driving force for open development here.

Turning on the map of China, Guangxi’s Beibu Gulf, the most convenient outlet to the sea in southwestern China, is clearly visible. The three port cities of Beihai, Qinzhou, and Fangchenggang are like three jewels and are dazzling.

Fangcheng Port first received 10,000-ton freighters in 1984 and was listed as one of the 19 hub ports in the country in 1989. At the same time, Beihai was listed as one of the 14 coastal open cities in the country in 1984, and Beihai Port's first 10,000-ton berth was completed and put into operation in 1986. On August 1, 1992, Qinzhou Port was officially opened for construction. 14 months later, 2 10,000-ton berths were successfully completed and gradually developed into an important regional port in the country.

In order to adapt to the new situation of opening up and development, the Party Committee and Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region decided to "three ports in one" to establish Beibu Gulf International Port Group in 2007, creating a precedent for the cross-administrative regional integration of coastal ports across the country. After the integration, Qinzhou Port will focus on container business, Fangcheng Port will focus on bulk cargo, and Beihai will build a home port for cruise ships.

Today, Beibu Gulf Port has more than 260 productive berths, among which 95 are berths above 10,000 tons, with a maximum berthing capacity of 300,000 tons. It has become China’s international gateway to ASEAN and is an important part of the organic connection of the “Belt and Road” initiative. Portal. More than 20 years ago, industries along the coast of the Beibu Gulf in Guangxi were almost blank. With the continuous improvement of infrastructure construction and the rapid increase in throughput, the port industry has developed rapidly.

The coastal areas of the Beibu Gulf are seizing the opportunity and striving to build a "seaward industry." In Qinzhou, a diversified petrochemical industry system of “oil, coal, gas, and salt” was initially established. Projects such as Huawei's Digital Town and Hengyi Chemical Fiber were started, and industry leaders such as Vopak from the Netherlands and Suez from France were driven and attracted to settle down. In Beihai, the formation of four hundred billion industries including petrochemicals, new materials, silicon technology, and forestry, pulp and paper has accelerated, and a number of scientific and technological industrial parks and other projects have accelerated. In Fangcheng Port, modern port industry clusters focusing on iron and steel, non-ferrous metals, energy, grains and oils have accelerated to form, and Liugang and Shenglong cold rolling projects have accelerated their implementation.

"Relying on the development of the port, the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone has grown from an'industrial desert' where there were basically no major projects settled more than 10 years ago to an important industrial base in western my country." said Wei Ran, executive deputy director of the Planning and Construction Management Office of the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone will basically form a new situation of "land-sea internal and external linkage, east-west two-way mutual assistance", creating a new model of regional coordinated development in the new era and driving new growth points for high-quality development in Guangxi.

Since its opening in 2017, the new western land-sea corridor has opened five sea-rail combined train lines connecting western provinces. In 2020, 4596 rows were opened, which was a substantial increase from the 2,243 rows in 2019. The number of opened rows exceeded the sum of the previous three years. "As a large port of 100 million tons, Beibu Gulf Port continues to take advantage of the frontier gateway to ASEAN, and its hub status is steadily improving with the in-depth advancement of the new western land-sea channel." Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Port Group Co., Ltd. Vice Chairman Huang Baoyuan said. Bayport has opened more than 50 domestic and foreign trade routes, reaching more than 200 ports in more than 100 countries and regions around the world, achieving full coverage of major ports in ASEAN.

Beibu Gulf Port has also continuously expanded its investment in Malaysia's Kuantan Port and Brunei Mora Port, and has promoted negotiations on the development and construction of ports with other ASEAN countries. The China-ASEAN Port City Cooperation Network has 39 members.

According to the data, in the first three months of this year, the cargo throughput of Beibu Gulf Port (local port) was 61.915 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 16.06%, of which container throughput increased by 36.81% year-on-year, achieving a good start in the first quarter of the 14th Five-Year Plan. ".

Fang Jianli, executive deputy general manager of Guangxi Beibu Gulf Port International Container Terminal Co., Ltd., witnessed the development and growth of Beibu Gulf. “Relying on the new land-sea channel in the west, Beibu Gulf Port is actively participating in the new development pattern, and the construction of international gateway ports is accelerating.”

Merger of Liaoning Port

With the "Renjian 19" vessel berthing at Yingkou Port, the second domestic trade container route "Yingkou-Quanzhou-Zhangzhou" newly added by Liaoning Port Group (hereinafter referred to as "Liaogang Group") this year was officially launched on March 4 Open operation. Since the beginning of this year, Dalian Port has added three direct routes to Southeast Asia, and the number of container routes in Southeast Asia has increased to 22. The positioning of the two ports as the domestic and foreign trade hub ports of the Liaogang Group has become increasingly clear.

The two major listed ports in Liaoning, Dalian Port and Yingkou Port, realized a share swap and merger on February 9. Yingkou Port Co., Ltd. terminated its listing and cancelled its legal personality. Liaoning Port Co., Ltd., which was renamed from Dalian Port Co., Ltd., will As the core listing platform of the main port business of Liaogang Group. The port operations of Dalian Port and Yingkou Port account for about 70% of the total freight throughput of Liaoning's coastal areas. The business covers containers, petrochemicals, bulk cargo, ro-ro and other cargo categories.

China Merchants Group and the Liaoning Provincial Government reached a consensus on advancing port integration as early as March 2017. In November, the transitional Liaoning Northeast Asia Port and Shipping Development Co., Ltd. was established, and Dalian Port Group and Yingkou Port Group 100% state-owned equity were subsequently injected the company. In November 2018, Liaoning Northeast Asia Port and Shipping Development Co., Ltd. was renamed Liaogang Group. In December, China Merchants Group remitted the first 20 billion capital increase, and partial equity delivery was completed. In January 2019, Liaogang Group was officially listed, and in August, China Merchants Group became a controlling shareholder of Liaogang Group.

Zhou Qinghong, executive deputy general manager of Liaogang Group, said that before the integration, due to historical reasons, excessive internal competition and other problems in coastal ports of Liaoning were prominent, resource utilization efficiency needs to be improved, the port's structural configuration is not balanced, and the entire logistics, supply chain and other integrated services Development is lagging behind.

The over-homogenization competition between Dalian Port and Yingkou Port was once particularly obvious, and price wars were staged in turn. Take the coal, ore, steel, bulk grain and other bulk cargo businesses operated by both ports as an example. Due to the low value of goods, shippers and traders are more sensitive to port operating rates. The two ports competed by lowering port operating rates. Grab the supply. In 2014, when competition was fierce, the return on net assets of Dalian Port and Yingkou Port were only 3.09% and 4.85% respectively.

In fact, under the Liaogang Group's "small headquarters, large industry" management and control model and an organizational structure closer to the market and customers, reform the existing production organization methods of Dalian and Yingkou ports, enhance market competitiveness, and efficiently promote business integration and integration , It is imperative. After the merger of these two listed companies through share swaps, through the deep integration of assets, personnel, brand, management and other elements, they will become one of the largest listed companies in the port industry in northern China in terms of assets, revenue and profits.

The effect of the integration of Liaoning ports has already appeared. Liaogang Group has achieved an increase in cargo throughput against the trend for two consecutive years, and has opened nearly 40 container routes. In 2020, Dalian will promote the construction of a foreign trade container hub port, opening 7 new Southeast Asian foreign trade lines and 1 Far East route; Yingkou will promote the construction of a domestic trade container hub port, opening 7 new domestic trade routes, and achieving a sea-rail combined transport volume exceeding one million standards box.

"Since the promotion of port integration and the realization of the'central-region mixed reform', Liaogang Group's operating performance has steadily improved. From January to September 2020, cargo throughput increased by 3.1% year-on-year; operating profit increased by 770 million yuan year-on-year." Said Deng Renjie, chairman of the Hong Kong Group. Relevant industry insiders believe that the share swap and merger of Dalian Port and Yingkou Port has further deepened the integration effect of Liaoning Port and will enhance its influence and financing capabilities in the capital market.

Give full play to the synergistic effects of ports and promote port functions and structural adjustments.

Liaoning Port Co., Ltd., which was renamed from Dalian Port Co., Ltd., will shift its business focus to improving service levels, exerting its port-gathering functions, and strengthening the connection with regional industries to further enhance its external competitiveness. Liaoning Port Co., Ltd. will also adjust and optimize the source structure of containers, bulk cargo, oil products, etc., according to the geographical location, natural endowment and functional positioning of the port, and realize the dislocation development of the functional structure. , The shoreline resources, berths, storage yards, storage facilities, etc. of Yingkou are unified and scientifically planned to optimize the development of port resource allocation, avoid duplication of construction, and achieve intensive development.

In addition, after joining the China Merchants Group, Liaogang Group leveraged the internal and external resources of China Merchants Group in the fields of port, shipping, logistics and other business areas to carry out business linkages in route development, cargo transit and agglomeration, and channel construction. At the same time, Dalian Port is highly complementary to Yingkou Port, Dandong Port, Panjin Port, and Suizhong Port, which is conducive to the establishment of a "combined port" integrated marketing model and a one-stop, multi-channel logistics service model for customers.

After straightening out internal competition, Liaogang Group will enter a broader Bohai Rim port to fight and strive to establish a new type of competition and cooperation relationship for Bohai Rim ports. Liaogang Group and Tianjin Port signed a cooperation framework agreement to jointly carry out business such as the development of container routes and mutual support for the supply of China-Europe freight trains; signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Shandong Port Group to promote oil product transit, grain transportation, passenger and cargo roll-on routes, etc.10 Business cooperation to jointly build a world-class port.

As a benchmark for the "central-region mixed reform" in Northeast China, the successful practice of Liaogang Group in promoting port integration will give full play to the port's role as a gateway hub, promote the transformation and upgrading of Liaoning ports, and help Liaoning build an "Northeast Asia International Shipping Center". To better serve the revitalization of the northeast old industrial base. Editor/XuNing

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