Initiated last year, the "Greater Bay Area combined port" program has pulled off a decent performance in the first half of 2021, with container capacity reaching 15 thousand TEUs over the six months. Great prospects are raised as more and more enterprises take their part.

(Photo / Nanfang Daily)

The Greater Bay Area combined port program is one of the key programs to facilitate the construction of ports in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Through underlying technologies like block-chain and Internet of Things, the procedures are largely optimized with different customs districts sharing the same port code. The goods are therefore allocated directly among ports within the Greater Bay Area.

In November 2020, the Shekou-Shunde combined port project, the first container business project under the program, was officially launched. Enterprises are required to go through only one-time declaration and inspection procedure to transport goods from Shunde port to Shenzhen Shekou port for export, which is a big cost- and time-saver.

"Most of the household appliances of companies like Midea are now exported in the combined port mode. The overall time of delivery has been compressed from 5-7 seven days to 2 days, and we have also seen a huge advance in the inventory turnover," said Mr. Zhang, manager of Midea's customs clearance agent, "and the charge of manifest system has also been exempted, which alone saves over RMB 600 thousand per year."

Liu Bing, the manager of Operations Center, China Merchants Port Group, said the combined port has enabled a more flexible allocation of goods and has rid some ports of their burden. It is tantamount, as he put it, to "a physical extension of the container yard".

Responding to increasing needs, Shenzhen customs went further by putting into operation Shekou-Beijiao combined port in March, including Beijiao, Shunde into the blueprint. And for now, Shenzhen is planning to keep expanding and connecting, and eventually, construct a complete and modern mode for maritime export.

Author: Ray (intern)

Editor: Will, Jerry