International Cargo Seaport: Beibu Gulf Port

One of the growing port facilities in China, Beibu Gulf Port, serves multiple businesses and functions. Since its first operation in the late 20th Century, the port has become an important international trade hub for China, especially in the business relation with Singapore.

About Beibu Gulf Port

Beibu Gulf Port is operated by Beibu Gulf Port Co., Ltd., formerly known as Beibuwan Port. Situated in Guangxi Zhuang, an autonomous region in southern China, it started as mainly a domestic port but is now growing to serve local and international vessels. It operates vessels from 300 ports worldwide and connects 50 trading routes. Beibu Gulf Port currently has 270 berths, with four serving vessels with over 20,000 tons of capacity.

The History

Beibu Gulf Port started its history in 1989 due to the merger between Beihai Xinli and Beihaigang Ports. The port was among the earliest companies in Guangxi listed on Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Then, the rapid growth in both economy and port activities gave the port three main terminals in 2013: Qinzhou, Fangcheng, and the North Seaport.

Fangcheng was primarily designed to expand the port’s areas of operation. This terminal faces Southeast Asia (southwest Vietnam), creating a convenient trade hub junction between China and Southeast Asian countries.

Qinzhou terminal offers services connected to 22 domestic trades and 26 international trades. This terminal is the leading trade hub for China to open trade routes with Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Volume of Transaction in Beibu Gulf Port

Beibu Gulf Port is listed as the 49th busiest port globally by the World Shipping Council, based on the TEUs of the containers handled in the facility every year. According to the 2019 data from the World Shipping Council, the port handled around 3.8 million TEUs of containers in a year, and this figure continues to rise.

In 2020, it recorded 5.05 million TEUs of container capacities handled in its facility. This port is projected to have around a 30 percent of annual growth rate, turning it into one of the most important ports in China. It also helps China expand trade routes and relations with Asian and European countries.

Interesting Facts

Beibu Gulf Port is so massive and busy, and it has its own shuttle bus service. The service was created to connect the operation between the port’s terminals and its usual business routes. The main tasks of these buses are collecting, transporting, and unloading goods before making sure that they are delivered on time. It also operates for 24 hours to improve the efficiency of goods transferring.

It is also among the ports in China that have started adopting the newest automation technology. The Qinzhou Terminal is projected to become a fully automated facility, making sure it is ready to keep up with the service demand from containers around the world.

China is a country with one of the fastest economic growth rates in the world. This port is one of the most important ports in the country and a modern facility that is slowly gaining technological advancement for its own sake.