International Cargo Seaport: Port of Foshan

The Port of Foshan in Guangdong Province, China, is one of the most important seaports in the province. Considered as the third-largest manufacturing base on the Pearl River Delta, the port consists of national-grade ports and terminals essential for shipping important commodities to and from the city of Foshan to other regions of China.

About Port of Foshan

The Port is located in its namesake, Foshan (or Fatshan), a prefecture-level city in central Guangdong Province, China. The port itself lies on the west side of the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone, a special economic zone in Southeast China that consists of numerous cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Jiangmen, Zhuhai, and other cities.

In terms of total area statistics, the port consists of 310.000 m² of water area, 3.454 m² of land area, and 3 operational areas for cargo operations such as Jiebian, Nandi, and Xinshi. To expand the port’s operational capability, Foshan Port added Sanshan and Sanhui ports to help the port on major channels.

The History

Compared to other major cargo ports in China, the modern Foshan Port is newer, considering its history. However, the city’s cargo trade and shipment history began during the Qing dynasty when the Foshan harbor (in Fen River) was connected with other important ports in Guangdong. During these times, Foshan was renowned for its steel industry, thanks to the abundance of iron products in the province.

When China slowly opened up for foreign trade and investment in the 1970s and the early 1980s, Foshan’s status was elevated as a prefecture-level city, which provided an opportunity for the modern Port to materialize.

Foshan is considered to be one of the earliest cargo trading posts in China that paved the way for the country to modernize and expand its economy exponentially significantly.

Volume of Transaction in Port of Foshan

According to its annual handled cargo traffic volumes, Foshan handles 30.000.000 tons of cargo and 1.304.000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo each year. These volumes are collected from Foshan’s Sanshan and Sanhui ports, in which the commodities consist of coal, timber, petroleum, grain, ore materials, and other local resources.

In early 2021, Foshan Port had a decrease of handled cargo volumes as many as -8.8%. A similar trend could also be found in major cities close to Foshan, such as Dongguan (-7.2%) and Hong Kong (-2.2%) during that period.

Interesting Facts

Foshan is renowned for its current modernity and for the fact that it is one of the first cities in China that opened itself to foreign trade during the Qing dynasty and during China’s gradual opening in the late 20^th century.

Alongside the Port as the main point of Foshan’s economic development, Foshan is also famed for its well-developed industries. One of the most affluent places in Foshan close to Foshan Port itself is Shunde District, renowned for its economic wealth and status as one of UNESCO’s Creative Cities that endorses Foshan’s legacy.