In the first half of this year, Shanghai Port experienced a significant increase in international vessel traffic, with a total of 23,000 international voyages, marking a 3.2% year-on-year growth and setting a new historical record for the period. Among these, container ships were particularly notable, accounting for 17,000 voyages and handling 16.346 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of inbound and outbound containers—up by 2.6% and 7% respectively compared to the same period last year. In addition, international cruise ships and roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) car carriers also demonstrated strong growth, with year-on-year increases of 80.1% and 13.5% respectively.

In response to the continued rise in vessel entries and departures, Shanghai Customs has stepped up its efforts to ensure effective supervision and has enhanced supply services for vessels, thereby supporting Shanghai Port in upgrading its high-end shipping service capabilities and contributing to the city's broader goal of becoming a world-class international shipping center.

Recently, at the COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry terminal in Shanghai, the LNG bunkering vessel Huaihe Energy Qihang successfully completed a 12,000-cubic-meter ship-to-ship bonded LNG bunkering operation for the CMA CGM Jacques Saadé, the world’s first 23,000-TEU dual-fuel LNG container ship. This marks the first time in China that a ship-to-ship bonded LNG bunkering operation has been carried out at a shipyard terminal—an achievement of considerable significance.

This type of operation significantly improves the turnaround efficiency of ship repair processes and reduces maintenance costs. It is estimated to save at least two days in operational time and reduce chartering expenses by USD 200,000–300,000, while also cutting refueling and downtime costs during the voyage from Shanghai to Europe.

According to data from Shanghai Customs, bonded LNG bunkering volume at Shanghai Port reached 384,000 cubic meters in the first half of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 57.7%, placing the port among the national leaders in this field. This demonstrates the port’s steadily improving capabilities in green fuel services for vessels.

Hongkou Customs, a subordinate of Shanghai Customs, is responsible for the supervision of inbound and outbound vessels and the supply of onboard materials at Shanghai Port. In the first half of the year, Hongkou Customs leveraged its Ship Supervision Center, working closely with customs offices at nine waterborne terminals across the port to implement digital vessel monitoring. Furthermore, it accelerated the digital transformation of processes involving tonnage tax, hygiene certificates, and vessel supply materials. Initiatives such as self-printing and mobile application tools have enabled businesses to shift from “one visit at most” to “no visits at all,” positioning Hongkou Customs as a model for efficient vessel supervision and contributing to Shanghai’s development as a global maritime hub.