Strong start North seaport January foreign trade container throughput surges 62.89 percent

Loading and unloading of trucks at berth 5 in the Beimu operation area of Tieshan Port

　　At the beginning of the new year, Beihai Port on the coast of Beibu Gulf is bustling with activity, with cargo throughput continuously flowing, and good news arriving on schedule. The Beihai Municipal Bureau of Commerce (Port Office) revealed that in January 2026, Beihai Port's cargo throughput reached a new high, totaling 4.5259 million tons, an increase of 12.1% year-on-year, continuing the good trend of steady growth; among them, the foreign trade import and export cargo throughput was 1.9122 million tons, an increase of 12.6% year-on-year. Particularly striking is the foreign trade container business, with a total import and export volume of 3,554 TEUs, a year-on-year surge of 62.89%, with imports at 2,410 TEUs and exports at 1,144 TEUs, increasing by 70.8% and 48.38% respectively year-on-year, with both imports and exports growing rapidly, marking a leading start for the development of Beihai Port in the new year.

　　This impressive report card for the first month of 2026 is not accidental, but the inevitable result of the Beihai Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government's adherence to the strategic deployment of "strengthening industry, stabilizing foreign trade," and the coordinated promotion of port infrastructure upgrades and service efficiency improvements. Among them, the continuous release of the foreign trade container function at berth 5 in the Beimu operation area of Tieshan Port is the core driving force behind the explosive growth of the container business this time. Since the official launch of the foreign trade container business at Beihai Port in September 2025, it has completely ended the long-standing inability of Tieshan Port to carry out foreign trade container operations, directly reducing enterprise transportation costs by more than 20% and shortening transportation cycles by nearly a week. These advantages have attracted cargo sources from inland areas such as Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, and Hunan to continuously gather at Beihai Port, injecting fresh impetus into the growth of the container business.

　　The continuous improvement of infrastructure and the ongoing expansion of terminal openness have laid a solid foundation for the growth of port throughput. At the beginning of 2026, the Dragon Port Terminal berths 8 and 9 in the Shitoubu operation area of the Xigang District of Tieshan Port at Beihai Port were successfully approved for external opening. On February 4, 2026, the first ship, JR SOPHIA, loaded with 38,000 tons of wood chips from Vietnam, berthed at berth 8. As Guangxi's first automated wood chip terminal, the commissioning of these two 100,000-ton berths not only fills the gap of regional specialized terminals but also elevates Beihai Port's level of openness, adding new momentum to the high-quality development of the port industry, marking the official entry of Guangxi's first automated wood chip specialized terminal into a new stage of international operations, injecting new momentum into Beihai Port's openness and high-quality development of the port industry.

　　The deep advancement of customs clearance facilitation reform is a key driver for port development. The Beihai Municipal Bureau of Commerce (Port Office) has always taken the lead, deepening coordinated interaction with joint inspection departments such as customs, border inspection, and maritime affairs, breaking down departmental barriers, optimizing operational processes, and innovatively implementing convenient customs clearance models such as "remote intelligent supervision." This greatly reduces cargo clearance time, improves port clearance efficiency, allowing enterprises to truly experience convenience and efficiency in handling affairs, and makes the business environment of Beihai Port more attractive.

　　In 2026, Beihai Port will continue to anchor its core position as the international gateway port of Beibu Gulf, continuously deepening pragmatic cooperation with ports of countries participating in the "Belt and Road" initiative, and making sustained efforts to expand cargo source channels and enhance cross-border logistics service capabilities. It will fully support Beibu Gulf Port in striving for the grand goal of "ten million TEUs," allowing Beihai Port, the core hub of the new western land-sea corridor, to bloom with stronger development vitality. (Li Siru)

　　Source: Beihai Municipal Bureau of Commerce

Container yard at berth 5 in the Beimu operation area of Tieshan Port

Berth 5 in the Beimu operation area of Tieshan Port is in operation