DOMESTIC
container shipping will be China ports' growth engine as the pandemic impacts
on international trade, according to the China Ports and Harbours Association's
secretary-general, Ding Li.
Speaking
at a recent industry conference in Ningbo, Mr Ding said: "The new growth
points are centred around the domestic market. Ports serve the economy and the
flow of goods. Even as imports and exports are slowing, the movement of goods
within the country continues."
With
people less inclined to leave home, e-commerce sales are rising. As commercial
aviation has ground to a halt, e-commerce retailers are turning to shipping to
fulfil transportation requirements.
"Ports
serve the real economy and trade in goods. Faced with the complex internal and
external situation, it's necessary to control the pandemic and ensure the
smooth flow of international and domestic logistics chains."
Container
volumes in China will continue to recover moderately in the second half of the
year, said Mr Ding. Taking into account the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in
the first quarter of 2020, full-year volumes are expected to drop by about 3
per cent compared to last year.
However,
recently issued Ministry of Transport guidelines have driven technological
innovation of transport infrastructure, including a shift towards smart ports.
"Ports
are gradually changing from a labour-intensive industry to a
technology-intensive industry," Mr Ding noted.
Current
developments viewed in the context of the application of the Internet of Things
(IoT), shows China's port construction is "undergoing a transformation and
upgrading towards digitalisation and automation," he claimed.
The
secretary general believes the development of smart ports has become more rapid
as a result of Covid-19, both in coastal and inland ports, UK's Container News
reported.
"5G
will definitely enhance the dimension of smart port construction and make it
possible to enrich the content of smart ports," he said.
Source
: HKSG.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar