Shanghai has launched a 450 000-square-metre empty container dispatching facility, all in a bid to deal with allocation delays caused by boxes getting snarled up in logjams at leading ports serving Transpacific trade.
The Shanghai Northeast Asia Container Transportation Centre will have an annual TEU capacity of three million containers and will deploy integrated management systems to alleviate equipment shortages.
Four of the world’s leading lines have already come on board as partners of the initiative by the Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) – Maersk, CMA CGM, MSC and Evergreen.
SIPG chairman Gu Jinshan said the centre’s main drive would be to fast-track communication between all parties in the sea freight value chain in an attempt to avoid backlogs and build-ups.
Shanghai’s new box distribution drive follows May’s development further up the mouth of the Yangtze which involved an empty container movement undertaking between SIPG and the Port of Taicang.
The development, which included Evergreen as a principal partner, was based on efforts to streamline cargo along the Yangtze and transhipment efficiencies to Shanghai port.
MSC also came on board at the beginning of 2022 to assist in promoting the distribution centre at Taicang.
