Located at the entrance to the Bohai Sea fromthe Haihe River, Tianjin Port is a top-class artificialharbor in the world. In year 2007, the porthad a throughput of more than 300 million tons,ranking the sixth among the major ports in theworld. The container throughput reached 7.1million equivalent units, making the port one ofthe top twenty container ports in the world.

Tianjin Port is situated on the intersectionpoint of Jingjin (Beijing and Tianjin) city zoneand economic rim around Bohai Bay. It is thenearest port to the inland areas such as NorthChina and North-west China among all portsaround the Bohai Bay. It is the internationalport of Beijing and Tianjin and an importantone for foreign trade of the North China. It isalso the link connecting North-east Asia andMiddle-west Asia, and the east starting pointof Eurasia Continental Bridge.

According to sources, the present size of TianjinPort’s water and land area is approximately200 square kilometers. The present size ofthe land area is 60 square kilometers and it isplanned to occupy an area of 100 square kilometersby 2010. Presently, the major sea-routeat Tianjin Port is 35 kilometers in length, 19.5meters in depth, capable of handling 250,000-ton ships easily and 300,000-ton ships at tides.

Tianjin Port also has a strong connection withinland areas, reaching directly 14 inland provinces,cities and autonomous regions includingBeijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province, covering 5million square kilometers, which accounts for52 percent of the total area of the country. Approximately70 percent of the port’s throughputand over 50 percent of its import andexport value come from provinces and regionsother than Tianjin. The port has extensive contactswith the world, establishing sister-portrelationship with twelve ports including thoseof Japan, South Korea, America and Hollandand having trades with more than 400 ports ofmore than 180 countries and regions.

Tianjin Port is one of the most functional costalports in China, in possession of containerterminal, iron ore terminal, charcoal terminal,petrochemicals terminal, general cargo terminal,roll-on roll-off terminal, general grainterminal, general chemical fertilizer terminal,international passenger terminal and a varietyof other specialized terminals.

According to sources, till the year of 2010, TianjinPort’s cargo throughput will have surpassed400 million tons, with the container throughputof 12 million equivalent units, more than 700container shipments monthly and 300,000-tonnage dock. It will become a modernizedinternational deepwater port with advancedfacilities, comprehensive functions, scientificmanagement, high efficiency, and harmonious,ecological and livable environment. It will alsobecome a hinge container port connected toNorth-east and Middle-west Asia, the biggestmajor general cargo port in North China, thelargest-scaled bonded-port area with the highestdegree of openness and the biggest comprehensiveport in circum-Bohai Sea area.

During the period of the “Eleventh Five-Year Plan”,RMB 45 billion yuan will be invested to furtherupgrade the scale, level and function of the portand to improve its core competitiveness.

On January 1, 1981, China’s first specializedcontainer terminal was put into production atTianjin Port. On December 5, 1997, the passengerand cargo service quality system ofTianjin Port Bureau was granted the BritishUKAS accreditation certificate. Tianjin Port Bureautherefore became the first port enterprisegranted ISO 9000 Accreditation both internationallyand domestically. A good number ofindustrial or national records have been createdat Tianjin Port.

In 1984, Tianjin Port initiated managementsystem reform among coastal ports in China;on May 22, 1989, the first Commercial BondedWare Co., Ltd. (CBW) in China was brought intooperation, co-established by Tianjin Port andRoyal Nedlloyd Group of Holland; on April 25,1997, Tianjin Port observed the opening of EDICenter, hence becoming the first port in Chinawhich is in line with international standards inits information exchange methods for internationalcontainer transportation.