Zhejiang's Sea Ports Shift From Single Dominance to Synergy on Record Exports in 2025

(Yicai) Feb. 10 -- The layout of sea ports in China's southeastern Zhejiang province has transformed from the reign of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port to multi-port synergy after the region logged record-high exports last year, driven by industrial transformation and the rapid development of new businesses.The cargo throughput of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port topped 1.4 billion tons last year, ranking first in the world for the 17th year in a row, according to official data. However, the figure exceeded 100 million tons at each of Zhejiang's four sea ports, driven by significantly shorter transport time thanks to the launch of new regular direct shipping routes, with that of Jiaxing Port reaching 144 million tons, while the Taizhou and Wenzhou ports handled 100 million tons for the first time.The busy seaport operations reflect Zhejiang's foreign trade competitiveness, with its import and export rising 5.4 percent to CNY5.55 trillion (USD801.7 billion) in 2025 from the previous year, a bigger jump compared with the national average of 3.8 percent. Exports soared 7.2 percent to CNY4.19 trillion, exceeding CNY4 trillion for the first time and accounting for 16 percent of China's total, ranking second only behind Guangdong province.A container liner carrying nearly 800 twenty-foot equivalent units recently set off from Wenzhou Port for Saudi Arabia, marking the launch of the first direct trade route from Zhejiang to the Red Sea. It also opened a fast maritime channel for the province's southern area, as well as neighboring Fujian and Jiangxi provinces, to connect with markets along the sea.The new route links the two major supply hubs of Yiwu and Wenzhou, achieving "cargo consolidation in Yiwu and departure from Wenzhou Port," Chen Huaxiao, a person in charge at Yiwu Qianlan Import & Export, told Yicai. In addition to Jeddah Port, Chinese-made goods will also reach other key Middle Eastern ports via this route, including Sokhna Port in Egypt and Aqaba Port in Jordan, Chen noted.The maiden voyage of the route was loaded with daily necessities and hardware tools from Yiwu, as well as car and motorcycle parts and new energy products produced by Wenzhou-based manufacturers, Chen pointed out.The new direct route from Ningbo-Zhoushan Port to Australia, which opened last month, will have seven vessels with a capacity of 4,000 TEUs each operate weekly to meet the export demand of firms in Ningbo and surrounding areas to Oceania, Zhang Guanghao, deputy manager of the field operation department at China Ocean Shipping Agency Ningbo, said to Yicai.New direct routes can significantly improve transportation efficiency and enhance the certainty of logistics performance. Taizhou Port opened two direct routes to East Africa and West Africa at the end of last year, delivering products mainly from Yiwu's small commodity markets and cutting the about 60-day journey by more than half.Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev