Tianjin Port is the largest artificial port in China and an important trade port in northern China. Being the gate of Beijing and Tianjin, Tianjin Port has a total area of about 200km2, among which 47km2 is land area. The total land area is expected to reach 100km2, according to the port development plan.
Presently, the water depth of the navigation channel is -17.4m, which allows 200,000dwt vessel to enter and exit the port.
Tianjin Port is divided into four berths, with a total quay length is 15km. The main cargoes handled by the port include container, coal, coke, mineral ore, oil, steel, fertilizer, grain and so on.
Tianjin Port (Group) Co., Ltd. is the main body of Port of Tianjin with total asset of RMB20.8 billion. The group has 63 subsidiary companies and units, and 20500 employees totally. It stood number 406 among the top 500 strongest enterprises in China and the second among port industry. In 2005, the total throughput reached 4.8 million TEUs and ranked number 16 in the world ports.
To further enhance its competitiveness, Tianjin Port plans to invest RMB36.7billion to mainly construct large scale, specialized terminal, 250,000 dwt navigation channel, bulk cargo and container logistics center during the "11th Five-year-plan" period.
It is expected that the total throughout will reach 10 million TEUs by 2010, and the port grade achieving 300,000dwt. By then, it will become an internationalized and modernized deepwater civilized and environmentally friendly port with advanced facilities, complete functions, scientific management and high-efficient operation. It will be the international container hub port and the largest bulk cargo main port in northern China as well as the largest and the most opened free port area and the largest comprehensive port in Bohai Rim. Tianjin Port will play a core role in constructing Tianjin to be northern international shipping center and the international logistics center.
In 2001, Tianjin Port, for the first time, broke through 100-million-ton level in cargo throughput, becoming the first of its kind in northern China. The port has kept an annual expansion of 30 million tons in the following years. Cargo throughput in 2004 exceeded 200 million tons, and containers throughput surpassed 3.80 million TEUs, listed in the world top ten ports in terms of throughput, and the eighteenth largest in terms of container throughput. The throughputs of cargoes and containers reached 140 million tons and 4.80 million TEUs in 2005, and 258 million tons and 595 million TEUs in 2006.
Currently, Tianjin Port’s throughput capacity ranks the sixth largest in the world, the fourth largest in China, and the largest among northern China ports. Container throughput ranks the sixteenth in the world ports and the sixth in domestic ports.
