International Cargo Seaport: Port of Taicang

China has a long history of foreign trading and is one of the most ancient civilizations to start the activities. One of the most important factors behind the success is its supporting port. The Port of Taicang is among one of them.

About Port of Taicang

As the name suggests, Port of Taicang is located within a county-level city with the same name on the shoreline area. Taicang is under the jurisdiction of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. Its nearest neighbor ports are Port of Nantong (57 kilometers away) and Port of Shanghai (55 kilometers), also part of the Yangtze River System.

The History

Ever since China’s Three Kingdoms Period in the 3rd Century AD, the Port of Taicang had already held a crucial role in the economy. Taicang means the “Great Granary” in Mandarin Chinese, hinting at the number of granaries built around the city during its ancient civilization.

In the 12th Century AD, the city turned into a military base, and many facilities such as streets and walls were built to protect the port. Port of Taicang saw its golden era during the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th and 14th centuries, where it became the world’s number one port at the time. In the early 15th century, famous explorer Zheng He departed from the city for his famous voyage to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Volume of Transaction in Port of Taicang

On a yearly basis, the Port of Taicang handles approximately 2.4 million cargo and more than 1 million TEU. The main cargos handled by the port are chemical, gas, and oil products. The port has become one of the best in the Chinese shoreline because it is free of ice and slit, making it capable of receiving third and fourth-generation container vessels. Port of Taicang is also easy to navigate for its straight coastline, deep water, and broad channel.

Interesting Facts

Located close to the Yangtze River, the main development focus in the Port of Taicang in recent years is on pollution management. A third of the whole port area is covered by freshwater, which is why environmental contamination has always been an issue. The local government implements strict policies and works hard to implement environmental protection.

Aside from the environmental concern, the expansion and industrialization of the port area keep going, and there are many investments in the Yangtze River Delta to support its economic development.

The Taicang Economic Development Zone was created back in 1991. It covers an 80 square kilometers area, with an economic zone only 20 kilometers away from downtown Shanghai.

Even though Taicang is one of the most critical naval cities today, the economy used to be supported by agriculture. Taicang local farmers produced livestock, rice, and cotton. As the port grew more significant over the past two decades, their primary activities have shifted, and farming activity has decreased.

The Port of Taicang is expected to have continuous growth. It has a long experience hosting numerous projects related to machinery, electronics, and automobile parts sponsored by German companies.