Tianjin Port locates at the cross point of Beijing-Tianjin city band and Bohai Rim economic circle. It is the sea gate of Beijing, the important international trade port in northern China and the link to connect Northeast Asia and Central and West Asia. Tianjin Port is the highest grade artificial port in the world. At present, the water depth of the main navigation channel is -21.0m, which is available for ship of 300,000 tons to enter and leave port with high tide.
Tianjin Port is the largest comprehensive port in northern China with water and land area of 336 square kilometers and land area of 131 square kilometers. There are totally 159 various berths in Tianjin Port, including 102 berths over 10,000 tons. In 2012, the cargo throughput of Tianjin Port was 477 million tons, ranked No 4 in the world; container throughput was 12.3 million twenty equivalent units (TEU), ranked No 11 in the world.
Tianjin Port mainly consists of North Port, South Port, East Port, South Zone of Harbor Economic Area and East Zone of Nangang Port. North Port is mainly engaged in the operation of containers and general cargoes; South Port focuses on dry bulk and liquid bulk cargoes; East Port focuses on container terminal operation and modern services of international shipping, logistics, trade and off-shore finance, and the urban functions in its eastern side are improving; the main development trend in the South Zone of Harbor Economic Area is heavy equipment manufacturing, new energy, food and light industry; the East Zone of Nangang Port is a new port area for bulk cargo of coal and ore.
Tianjin Port has broad international connection. It has trade relation with more than 500 ports in over 180 countries and regions. Every month there are about 500 scheduled vessels connecting with the main ports in the world. It possesses strong economic radiant power. The hinterland is almost 5 million square kilometers, accounting for 52 percent of total Chinese area. Presently, approximately 70 percent of the cargo throughput and more than 50 percent of the import and export cargo value via the port come from the provinces outside Tianjin.
The service function of Tianjin Port is perfect and the promotion to regional economy is strong. It is the only port in China which has three Eurasia continental bridge passages. The Tianjin International Trade & Shipping Service Center is the largest one stop service shipping service center and digital port in China at present. The 4 marketing centers and 23 inland dry ports further improved the logistics network in hinterland.
By 2017, the cargo throughput of Tianjin Port will reach 600 million tons and container throughput will reach 20 million TEU. By 2020, a high level first class port in the world will match the position of Tianjin to be an international port city, northern economic center and ecological city, and Tianjin Port will be a comprehensive port with scientific plan, reasonable layout, complete function, leading technology, high quality service, integrated, efficient and ecological environment, a pioneer zone of free trade port area with Chinese characteristics, a model zone of port economy diversification and cluster development, an allocation hub of global resource with strong competitiveness in the international shipping, logistics and trade system.