First quarter "Good Start"! Lianyungang Port plays the melody of development "Spring Song"

Reprinted from: Yangtze Evening News

The determined steps of progress are chasing the flow of time, making the spring at Lianyungang Port even more vibrant than in previous years. In the first quarter of 2026, Lianyungang Port’s cargo throughput increased by 6.39% year-on-year, with fertilizer, vehicles, crude oil, and iron ore throughput growing by 124.69%, 85.32%, 99.18%, and 12.93% respectively. The port’s container volume maintained steady growth, achieving a strong start to the year.

One Body, Two Wings “Spring Tide Surges” Production Efficiency Reaches New Heights

On March 31, at berth 104 of Xinwei Port, photovoltaic modules assembled at yard 5 were being systematically loaded onto the “Jingrun 97” vessel, ready to be shipped to a photovoltaic project base. In March, Xinwei Port completed 308 voyages of photovoltaic component shipments, totaling 1.7275 million cubic meters, setting new records for both the number of voyages and volume of photovoltaic ship operations. In the first quarter, Xinwei Port’s throughput increased by 148.7% year-on-year, with record-breaking simultaneous operations of 10 ships at berth during night shifts on March 25 and 27, fully demonstrating the terminal’s maximum unloading capacity and efficient organization.

Vivid data reflects the lively scene of Lianyungang Port’s “One Body, Two Wings” efforts. Since the beginning of the year, the port has focused on promoting “qualitative effective improvement and reasonable quantitative growth,” accelerating the shift from “mainly increasing volume” to “balanced volume and efficiency,” with success stories from various port areas and operational units—

Dongfang Company broke new records in fertilizer unloading volume for two consecutive months in February and March, with daytime and nighttime loading of 515 units in March, breaking the company’s records seven times, and setting new records four times for day/night operations;

The Railway Transport Company’s freight volume in the first quarter increased by 8.11% year-on-year, with March setting a new monthly record for auto cargo handling;

Xinsu Port’s throughput in the first quarter grew by 7.5% year-on-year, with cargo dispatch volume up 5.1%, handling 7 iron ore ships of 400k tons, with ship unloading efficiency up 3% year-on-year;

Xinhaiwan Company repeatedly set new records for liquid cargo ship operations and throughput. The development of general cargo operations is strong, with a steel billet loading operation on the “Jin Hai” vessel reaching 11,262 pieces in 24 hours, setting a new peak for day/night operations. In the first quarter, the company’s vehicle and machinery exports exceeded 6,000 units, a historic high, up 525% from the same period last year, accounting for about 45% of last year’s total vehicle and machinery exports, with a vigorous growth trend…

A series of solid data release a strong “stability” tone and signal “progress.” From the northern wing to the southern wing, from the main port area to extending wings, Lianyungang Port is accelerating high-quality development with the surging momentum of spring.

Spring “Spring Plowing” in Engineering Construction, Setting a Benchmark for Quality and Starting a New Journey

The vibrant scene on the production front relies on solid engineering construction support. Just as spring plowing nurtures autumn harvests, key projects are growing and bearing fruit in the spring.

Walking into berth 33 of the main port area, a newly completed group of silos stands tall—these are part of the first phase of the Lianyungang International Grain Distribution Center, built by Jiangsu Zhugang. It is the largest and tallest silo cluster project in Jiangsu Province, marking a new level in port grain unloading and transfer capacity once completed. In the first quarter, Jiangsu Zhugang’s engineering construction progressed steadily, winning bids for multiple key projects, including six outside-port projects with a total bid amount exceeding 600 million yuan. Key progress was made on projects such as the 300k-ton channel expansion at Lianyungang Port, the second-level channel improvement of the South Yangtze River Canal in Suzhou, the Yinkou Terminal Phase I project in Tongzhou Bay Port Area, and the South District of Qitai Operation Area’s raw ore stockyard Phase I, all passing the 2025 Jiangsu Province “Safe and Quality Engineering” provincial acceptance with excellent results.

Beyond port-owned projects, other construction within the port area is also thriving. The automated container terminal ECS system has officially gone online, initially achieving “full-process automation,” giving the port a boost of intelligence; Ganlu Port’s first phase of port access road construction adopted the city’s first “dry sluice” design, successfully passing the special sea embankment inspection, ensuring flood safety and efficient connection between roads and embankments, laying a foundation for full-line connectivity.

Market Expansion “Spring Thunder” Opens New Frontiers in Multimodal Transport

Continuous enhancement of hardware capabilities injects strong momentum into market development. The surging tide fosters new routes, new maps, and new possibilities. Since the beginning of the year, the port has achieved frequent breakthroughs in market expansion and channel construction.

In terms of channel development, the “Lianyungang–Changde” Haihe River-Jianglian Transport Corridor, signed in December last year, continues to benefit from cooperation: its regular operation has entered a new stage of logistics linkage between the middle Yangtze River and the Yellow Sea; the Lianyungang to Shandong’s Hebei route for iron ore sea-river intermodal transport has been officially launched, opening a new convenient route for inland economic development; the “Xinlong Port–Pohang Port, South Korea” foreign trade general cargo liner successfully maiden voyage, adding a new international route; and a strategic cooperation framework agreement was signed with Henan Port and Shipping Group to deepen cooperation on the key hub of the new Eurasian continental-sea intermodal corridor. As a result, in the first quarter, the port’s sea-river intermodal cargo throughput increased by 22.3% year-on-year, container sea-river intermodal volume grew by 73.5%, and container rail-sea intermodal volume increased by 14.6%, continuously strengthening the core competitiveness of multimodal transport systems.

In market marketing and investment promotion, the port also took a key step. On March 3, the “Hundred-Person Team” for marketing and investment promotion was officially formed. This strategic move by the group aims to “focus on market development and prioritize investment promotion,” establishing a “central coordination, sub-center specialization, regional operations, and grid-based landing” marketing and investment network to promote targeted source expansion and port-led industry development. The team will go deep into the market frontline, strengthening core cargo types, solidifying regional grids, and optimizing channel products, accelerating the transformation into a “comprehensive supply chain service provider,” supporting the “14th Five-Year Plan” development. This spring “advance team” is heading to the frontlines with high spirits.

Service Capacity “Spring Warmth” Creates a New Chapter in Business Environment

The enhancement of “hard” strength in market and engineering also drives the continuous improvement of “soft” service capabilities. With the warmth of spring, port workers are writing a different kind of “opening red” with attentive and professional service.

On March 12, the Lianyungang–Korea passenger and cargo liner welcomed its largest outbound group this year—869 travelers smoothly cleared customs. The passenger terminal launched a special support mode, opening dedicated channels and optimizing clearance procedures, increasing team clearance efficiency by 10%. For elderly travelers, a “Senior Assistance Service Post” was set up inside the station, equipped with reading glasses, hot water, emergency medicines, and staffed with full-time personnel to assist throughout, earning high praise from travelers. In the first quarter, the two China-Korea passenger and cargo routes operated 94 voyages, carrying 13,989 passengers, a 33.24% increase year-on-year, with 7,408 passengers in March alone, up 70.14%.

The warmth of passenger services is transmitted at the port, and the warmth of logistics services flows within the park. Logistics Holdings Highway Port Company focused on the real needs of truck drivers, adding two hot water dispensers to meet their needs for hot water for washing. Meanwhile, the company solidly promoted the “Refined Measures for New Look, Improving Quality and Efficiency” special action, upgrading and renovating the auto storage yard, optimizing layout, improving facilities, and increasing storage capacity and operational efficiency.

Relying on the “Loyal Volunteer” service team, the Highway Port Company carried out four volunteer activities in the first quarter, focusing on urgent and difficult issues faced by drivers and staff, organizing diverse volunteer activities aligned with festivals and park needs, further polishing the logistics service window, gathering corporate development strength, and promoting the deepening of the business environment.

The “opening red” in the first quarter is not only a report card but also a rallying call. The steps of progress never stop, and the sound of growth grows louder. Lianyungang Port is advancing with high spirits, accelerating beyond in the “14th Five-Year Plan” new journey, striving to write a new chapter in the construction of an international hub maritime port.

Correspondent: Zhang Xinyu, Yangtze Evening News/Ziniu News Reporter: Zhang Lingfei

Proofreader: Hu Yanlu