From November 5 to 10, the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) was held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). As a key member of Hutchison Ports, YANTIAN marked its eighth consecutive appearance, joining global partners in advancing together and helping shape a more open, prosperous ecosystem for international trade driven by ports.

Leveraging CIIE to Unite Forces: YANTIAN as the Premier Import Hub

This year's expo brought together 4,108 exhibitors from 138 countries and regions across 367,000 square metres of exhibition space. The presence of 290 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders set a new record for the event.

Building on the CIIE's global resource platform, the Commerce Bureau of Yantian District hosted the 2025 Shenzhen Yantian Import Industrial Chain Trade and Investment Exchange Conference in Shanghai, attracting more than 20 enterprises from across the import industrial chain. Representing YANTIAN, Linda Lin, Deputy General Manager of Commercial Department of YANTIAN, delivered a detailed presentation on YANTIAN's integrated strengths as a major gateway for South China's import and export flows, creating a precise and effective bridge for collaboration among upstream and downstream enterprises along the industrial chain.

According to customs statistics, China's imports reached CNY18.39 trillion in 2024, securing the position as the world's second-largest importer for the 16th consecutive year. As a critical link in global supply chains, YANTIAN is channelling this momentum with its hub capabilities—handling more than one-third of Guangdong's international trade volume and maintaining a high-frequency, extensive, faster, high-efficiency network of over 100 weekly services. Its premium shipping services and green, efficient multimodal transport solutions continue to power the high-quality development of China's international trade.

YANTIAN's Core Strength: A Robust Import Trade Hub

PART ONE
Cold Chain Hub: Delivering Global Freshness with Zero Delay

National-level cold chain logistics base: In June 2025, YANTIAN was designated by the National Development and Reform Commission as Shenzhen's only national backbone cold chain logistics base. The NDRC underscored YANTIAN's advantage of immediate port proximity, its role in enabling enterprises to engage more deeply in global cold-chain production and trade, and its growing capacity to strengthen domestic and international cold-chain logistics, positioning it as a gateway hub for global cold-chain logistics.

The preferred port for cold chain in South China + a key port for frozen meat imports: YANTIAN now serves as a pivotal hub for China-bound cargo from North America, Latin America, Europe, Oceania, and Southeast Asia. More than 95% of Shenzhen's imported frozen meat enters the country through YANTIAN.

Comprehensive cold chain support services: Currently, YANTIAN boasts over 4,500 reefer plugs within the port area, catering to the storage needs of both imported and exported reefer containers. There are 2 temperature-controlled inspection facilities, 2 Customs-designated supervisory sites, and 5 off-dock reefer warehouses with a total capacity of about 200,000 tons to provide one-stop and end-to-end fresh and frozen food services.

PART TWO
Shenzhen–Hong Kong Collaboration: A Dual-Hub Network for Connectivity Across Domestic and International Markets

Shenzhen YANTIAN + Hong Kong Kwai Tsing: In March 2025, the Department of Transport of Guangdong Province released the Three-Year Action Plan for Quality Development, which for the first time explicitly called for deepened cooperation between YANTIAN and Kwai Tsing Port. In 2024, YANTIAN's feeder throughput reached 1.19 million TEU, setting a new record.

SZ-HK Connect: Through 17 feeder services, 15 port alliances, and more than 90 weekly sailings, transshipment between YANTIAN and Kwai Tsing can be completed within 6–8 hours. With a complementarity of shipping services (over 240 sailings per week), the two ports connect seamlessly to more than 400 destinations worldwide. In 2024, feeder traffic between YANTIAN and Hong Kong increased by nearly 30% year-on-year, setting new records in both inter-port and overall feeder volumes.

Kwai Tsing Port primarily serves Asian and South American markets, boasting the largest number of Intra-Asia (120+) and South America (15) services in South China, while YANTIAN focuses on Europe and the US services, with 4 vessels heading for Europe and 6 vessels heading for the US every day.

Policy support: In June, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the Opinions on Deepening Reform and Expanding Opening-Up Through the Shenzhen Comprehensive Reform Pilot, specifically calling for enhanced support for YANTIAN in facilitating customs clearance and trade efficiency. YANTIAN continues to work closely with government agencies and industry partners to drive reform initiatives and promote the growth of international trade.

PART THREE
Inland Connectivity: Bridging the "Last Mile" through Rail-Sea Services

27 inland ports + 34 rail-sea services: YANTIAN features Shenzhen's only railway directly accessing the port area. Domestically, it seamlessly integrates with the national railway network and other domestic ports, covering the Greater Bay Area, Southwest, and Central China. Globally, it links with over 100 weekly shipping services worldwide, providing direct access to international markets.

South China's first stable cold chain rail service: On April 8, 2023, the YANTIAN–Ganzhou cold chain rail service officially commenced, achieving direct delivery within 12 hours. The service features an unattended, real-time remote temperature monitoring system and is supported by ample charging stations along the Pingyan Railway and at Ganzhou Station. Since its launch, the train has directly served Ganzhou and inland hinterlands, radiating across the country and offering customers efficient, reliable, and high-quality cold-chain logistics.

Empowering customers to expand inland markets: The rail-sea service not only extends the port's reach but also enhances cargo transport efficiency and lowers logistics costs. Rail operations run 24/7/365, enabling cargoes to reach inland regions such as Chongqing and Chengdu quickly. This allows customers to expand their markets further into China's interior.

Green development: Studies show that rail transport reduces carbon emissions per unit of freight turnover by up to 90% compared to road. A fully loaded rail-sea intermodal train to YANTIAN can replace around 100 container trucks, playing a key role in the achievement of China's dual carbon goals.

PART FOUR
Faster Customs Clearance, Lower Costs

Facilitated customs clearance: YANTIAN actively coordinates with port supervisory authorities to ensure efficient, smooth import operations. Through measures introduced by Dapeng Customs, high-priority cargo such as fresh fruits, plant bulbs, and dangerous goods can complete one-stop customs procedures, with unloading, inspection, sampling, and container pickup all achievable on the same day.

Saving 1–2 days in clearance: For example, a direct vessel carrying nearly 10,000 tons of cherries docked at YANTIAN. Thanks to seamless coordination of various parties, pre-declared containers completed all customs procedures the same day and reached the market promptly. Customers using the immediate pickup service could collect their containers within 10 minutes after unloading.

Looking ahead, YANTIAN will continue to leverage its role as a major global port to support the import and export of high-quality products, help turn China's domestic market into a global opportunity, and work closely with partners to strengthen practical trade cooperation and drive the high-quality development of China's international trade.

Contact information of YANTIAN import task force

Candy Liu
📱Phone: +86 159 9965 1710
Tel: +86 755 2529 8989
📮Email: candy.liu@yict.com.cn

Michael Jiang
📱Phone: +86 136 7018 0211
Tel: +86 755 2529 6542
📮Email: zhiling.jiang@yict.com.cn