On the afternoon of April 29, 2020, the launch of the Global Port Development Report (2019) (hereinafter referred to as "the Report"), a series of activities of the Expert Forum of the Shanghai International Shipping Research Center (SISI), was held for the first time in the form of video conference online live broadcasting and lectures on port development.
The meeting was led by Zhen Hong, Secretary General of Shanghai International Shipping Research Center (SISRC) and Professor of Shanghai Maritime University (SMU), who led the report compilation team as the keynote speaker, while Zhao Nan, Assistant Secretary General of SISI and Director of the Port Development Institute (PDI), presided over the meeting and released the Report.
In the interpretation of the Report, Xie Wenqing, Assistant Director of SISI Port Development Institute, made a presentation on eight aspects of the Report, including the global port development environment, production status, global terminal operators' development status, terminal investment and construction, the impact of India's policies on port development in the field of shipping, the port supply chain and cross-border e-commerce cooperation model, the risk-resistant capacity of global terminal operators and their investment, and analysis of the development trend of the global cruise ports, etc. in 2019. Eight aspects of the report were analyzed in detail.
When talking about the global port development trend in 2020, Xie Wenqing believes that, affected by the global pandemic of the new Crown Pneumonia epidemic and the surge in shipping costs under the low-sulfur oil, the global economic and trade growth rate in 2020 will fall sharply, and the growth rate of the global port throughput or decline. Specifically manifested as: Asian ports or face negative growth, the Americas and European ports continue to fall, Australia port growth stagnation.
Meanwhile, the port investment market is in a short-term downturn, as evidenced by the following: the construction of Asian ports is relatively stable, a new round of construction of U.S. East ports will be put on hold, the pace of China's port construction will gradually slow down, and the demand for the construction of automated terminals may be strengthened.
In terms of global terminal operators, the Report believes that there will be a wave of consolidation, mainly due to terminal operators selling assets to promote consolidation. The growth rate of global terminal operators is improving overall, judging from the capacity change and operation of important global terminal operators such as COSCO Shipping Ports, China Merchants Ports, Dubai Global Ports Group, Maersk Terminals, Singapore International Ports Group, and Hutchison Ports.
In predicting the development trend of port supply chain, Xie Wenqing said that in the future, more attention will be paid to the integrated and customized services for customers. For customers, the integration of related services will bring the greatest benefit of "seamless" logistics experience.
For service providers, the wider the coverage of services, the higher the service fee can earn. The extension of supply chain services upstream and downstream also means more customized service solutions and a wider customer base.
At the same time, the port supply chain also shows a trend toward online development. This not only provides convenience for the collaborative development, but also puts forward high requirements on the response speed of logistics supply chain itself.
How can the port supply chain and cross-border e-commerce synergistic development?
Xie Wenqing summarized that the essence of synergistic development of port logistics supply chain and cross-border e-commerce is the deep integration of the port industry for the global logistics supply chain market.
Specifically, in the face of decentralization, order fragmentation, supply chain flattening and other inevitable trends, the port supply chain must seize the opportunity of the era of "Internet of Everything". In the future, cross-border trade can be through the third-party cross-border e-commerce platform, providing "end-to-end" logistics integration services.
Utilizing the clustering effect of e-commerce platform, port supply chain service providers need to extend insurance, banking and other service providers on the basis of joint ports, shipping companies, terminals, freight forwarders, warehousing, customs clearance, fleet of vehicles, and develop cross-border as the core of the supply chain ecology. At the meeting, Prof. Zhen Hong also exchanged and shared with online guests on hot topics.
Firstly, the development of port enterprises shows the trend of seaward and landward network layout, the global terminal operators to strengthen the control of seaward port network, as well as the layout of inland waterless ports, the port service function to the inland extension.
The second is to create a "process and process" docking, build a port-centered logistics supply chain, and provide a "flexible service" port with a stronger ability to respond to changes in market demand.
The third is to enhance the development of port-city linkage. For example, the current port area has become an important support for port development, you can create a "port area + logistics park + port industrial park" three-zone development model.
Fourth, the sustainable development mode of the port can be developed in the direction of "resource-saving + environment-friendly".
Fifth, to have full coverage of information and data collection capabilities, with advanced digital technology application capabilities of the smart port, will be the road to future port development.
It is understood that this series of Reports has won the Second Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress of the China Port Association, and the relevant data of the 2018 Global Port Development Report is also cited in the 2019 Global Maritime Transportation Report recently released by UNCTAD.