International Cargo Seaport: Port of Suzhou

Port of Suzhou is the name referred to as the collective name of three ports located around Suzhou city. The three ports are located in Taicang, Changshu, and Zhangjiagang; those are on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. In 2013, the port became the busiest inland river port in the world.

About Port of Suzhou

Port of Suzhou is located at 62 Laodong Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. The port can be found in the Grand Canal, facing the Yangtze River to the north and Tai Lake to the south. The port covers a natural shoreline area of 17km with 230,000 square meters of land area and 13,000 square meters of water.

The History

The Zhangjiagang port was first conceptualized in 1986 by an urban city planner named Wang Weifeng. However, it is only a small village with fields, fish farms, and a small fishing port until 1993. Then, international trade was opened up in 1993, and the port was also declared an experimental industrial zone.

Changsu was a market town before turning into a major cotton-producing district in the 13th century. Due to its strategic location and potential as a trade center, a harbor was developed, which then became a part of the Port of Suzhou.

Lastly is the Taicang Port, a port that has always had an important economic role since the 3rd century. In the 12th century, the port became a military base with strategic infrastructures built around the port for protection, such as walls and streets. In the 13th century, Taicang Port became the number one port.

Together, the three important ports above are referred to as the Port of Suzhou. In 2011, the port had a total of 224 production berths and had trade with more than 400 international and domestic shipping lines. In 2013, it became the busiest inland river port in the world.

Volume of Transaction in Port of Suzhou

The Port of Suzhou is the 33rd largest port in the world and one of the busiest cargo ports in China. It handles 4.45 million TEU every year and plays an important role in the logistics and distribution sector of Suzhou.

The passenger transport areas cover an area of 1,960 square meters. The port handles approximately 183,3 million tons of cargo annually.

Interesting Facts

As previously mentioned, the Port of Suzhou is referred to three ports around Suzhou City. The first one, Zhangjiagang, is a large-sized port. The regular vessels called the Zhangjiagang are Bul Carrier, Cargo, Tanker, Oil or Chemical Tanker, and General Cargo.

The second port is called Changshu port. The main cargoes handled by this port are steel products, timber, iron, coal, chemical fertilizers, ore materials, sand, cotton, grain, and container. The third port is called Taicang, which handles gas, chemical, and oil products, steel coil, roll paper, tapioca chips, logs, steel billet, and wood pulp.

Additionally, the Port of Suzhou also has seven harbor areas, including Baiyangwan, Lumen, Chengwan, Fengmen, Qimen, Fengqiao, and Shuangqiao.