Splash247: China targets smarter seaports under five-year modernisation plan

Published by Splash247

China has set out a five-year programme to upgrade customs infrastructure, digital systems and multimodal links across its principal maritime gateways.

The 2026–2030 port-of-entry modernisation plan, approved by the State Council and issued jointly by the General Administration of Customs and the National Development and Reform Commission, targets major progress in smart, green and secure border infrastructure by the end of the decade.

The programme calls for upgrades to inspection facilities, cargo receiving and storage areas, transfer infrastructure and distribution links at ports of entry.

It also seeks to expand container-transfer capacity and improve compatibility between equipment used across maritime, rail and road transport networks.

A dedicated smart-port programme covers maritime gateways including Tianjin, Tangshan, Yingkou, Dalian, Taicang, Lianyungang, Zhoushan, Ningbo, Weihai, Qingdao, Guangzhou and Pingtan.

China plans to increase the use of automated inspection equipment, integrated data platforms and intelligent customs services, while improving links between the national single-window system and logistics, financial and supply-chain platforms.

The strategy also calls for closer integration of customs areas with terminals, container yards, warehouses and railway facilities, reducing duplication and improving cargo transfers between transport modes.

Coastal port development will increasingly be concentrated around major hub gateways, while lower-performing and overlapping ports of entry may be consolidated or closed.

The plan sets a 2030 target for substantial progress in port modernisation, with a broader goal of creating a world-class national port-of-entry system by 2035.

No overall investment figure or individual project timetable was disclosed.