Splash247: Hebei adopts new law to accelerate port automation and rail links

Published by Splash247

China’s Hebei province has adopted new port legislation aimed at expanding automation, improving rail connections and creating a more integrated Bohai Rim port network.

The revised Hebei Port Regulations will take effect on September 1 and cover port planning, construction, operations, waterfront use, safety and regulatory oversight.

The regulations require closer coordination between port, railway and road planning, with particular emphasis on completing rail links into terminal areas and expanding multimodal cargo infrastructure.

They also encourage port operators, customs and maritime authorities to share data and develop automated terminals, digital platforms and smarter customs-clearance systems.

Hebei will support the development of additional inland dry ports and container transhipment centres, while encouraging shipping lines and terminal operators to expand domestic and international container connections.

The province is home to major bulk and container gateways including Tangshan, Huanghua and Qinhuangdao.

Provincial authorities said existing port infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with cargo growth, while automation, cargo diversification and shipping services remain uneven across the network.

The legislation is intended to provide the regulatory framework for further port investment and closer integration between Hebei’s gateways and the wider Bohai Rim port cluster.