Taicang port turns old rival Shanghai into partner
Print Edition
TAICANG port in Jiangsu Province launched a direct shipping route to Shanghai on July 21, providing a quicker, safer and cheaper option to get cargo to Yangshan Deep Water Port.
Cooperating with Shanghai is a huge step that will allow Taicang to develop its full potential, according to officials.
Taicang shares a border with Shanghai and is along the Yangtze River. With 38.8 kilometers of coast and deep-water channels, the port is one of the province’s key shipping centers.
However, its rivalry with Shanghai has often held it back. Since Shanghai dominates trade and shipping in the region, Taicang’s role had until recently been subservient and dependent on trade within the Yangtze River Delta.
“In the past, our relationship with Shanghai was more of a competitive one than a cooperative one.
The port had limited resources and international connections, denying it a chance to realize its true potential,” said Xu Weiqiang, director at Taicang’s Party & Administration Affairs Office.
Things began to change for the better in 2005, when Jiangsu provincial officials made it a priority to modernize the port. Xu said the provincial governor at the time, Liang Baohua, was head of the inspection team, thus things started to happen quickly.
In 2011, provincial and local governments started negotiating with Shanghai. They wanted to establish a mutually beneficial relationship while seeking better opportunities in international trade. Shanghai was eager to explore the possibilities since it perceived mutual benefits.
Shanghai’s Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone had long been the exchange center of most ocean-going cargo from Yangtze’s upper reaches, meaning goods had to be transferred to Yangshan Deep Water Port (Shanghai’s main international port). This required cargo to be transported over land, leading to traffic congestion and vehicle emissions in Shanghai before it could reach Yangshan port and be loaded onto an shipping liner.
A deal between Taicang and Shanghai was reached last year. During negotiations, Jiangsu had applied to the central government for beneficial policies, seeking the same rights as seaports.
As a river port, Taicang needed approval from both the Taicang and Shanghai pilot stations for imports and exports, costing ship owners a lot of time.
After Taicang received the same preferential policies, ships handling imports and exports only needed to register with the Shanghai Pilot Station’s website, saving up to three hours per ship.
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