Import From China Business
A practical guide for starting a small business
2010-
Import from China
Sell on eBay
Sandra Kell
Ontario, Canada
Baby Products
Profit This Year: $10,400
“I started with $1,000 and began importing baby products from China. I sell them on eBay, Facebook and in my local stores. After 8 months, I am earning $400 a week. I finally quit my day job!”
Learn How
China Shipping
Importance of China Shipping
China Shipping handles the logistics of the bulk of China's import and export goods. There are about 200 shipping ports along China's 9000 mile coastline. China has over 2000 ports in total. Shanghai is China's largest port and is amongst one of the busiest in the world. Other important ports in China include: Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhongshan, Hong Kong, Ningbo, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Tianjin, Qingdao and Dalian.
Photo credit: Yangtze river, China -
Top China Shipping Ports
Here is a brief description of China’s top 11 ports:
Shanghai
- Congested ports in one of the limiting factors in China's ability to export its clothes, furniture, toys and other Chinese manufactured products. The port of Shanghai is at the mouth of the Yangtze River. Its strategic location means that Shanghai controls the bulk of the shipping volume in China.
- To help increase the port's shipping capacity, a new deep water port called Yangshan was built off the coast of Shanghai. Unlike other port projects which reside on the mainland coast, Yangshan was innovative in that this new port was put in the middle of the ocean. Donghai, a 32 km bridge was built to transport the goods from Yangshan to mainland China.
- Projects such as the construction of the Three Gorges Dam to increase safety and traffic capacity of the Yangtze River is a sign of China's commitment to continue to build its shipping industry.
Shenzhen
- The port of Shenzhen is in the southern Guangdong province where about one third of China's trade takes place. The other important port in Guangdong province is Hong Kong. Shenzhen has been taken shipping market share from Hong Kong due to the port's lower cost to process and export a container.
Guangzhou
- The Guangzhou port is situated 30 km from the city center of Guangzhou. It has been growing by double digits over the past few years. It is likely that Guangzhou will overtake Hong Kong as a shipping port in the mid 2010's. Guangzhou is the first Chinese port in the southeast to have tides with European trading in the sixteenth century. The city has been a major shipping port for many decades.
Zhongshan
- The Port of Zhongshan is in the city of Zhongshan located at the Pearl River Delta. Customs entry and exit inspection areas have been set up at the Zhongshan Port.
Hong Kong
- The Port of Hong Kong sits in a natural harbor with deep, silt free water. With mainland China providing the source of shipping, Hong Kong has become an international shipping hub. Port facilities spread over a geographical area of almost 300 hectares. There are multiple terminals serving up to 100 international shipping lines.
Ningbo
- The Port of Ningbo is located in the Yangtze River Delta. It is a modernized deep water port. The city of Ningbo is an ancient port city situated 160 km south of Shanghai.
Xiamen
- Xiamen is in the province of Fujian in southeast China. The Port of Xiamen thrived
in the sixteenth century due to the influx of the Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch fortune-
hunters.
Fuzhou
- The Port of Fuzhou is in the province of Fujian where it provides a direct connection to Taiwan. It is a historic open coastal port for foreign trade in China.
Tianjin
- The Port of Tianjin handles the shipping of Bejing which is 180 km away. A series of railway systems and roads connect this port with various major cities within China. The Tianjin Port is the largest artificial harbor in China.
Qingdao
- The Port of Qingdao is a natural deep water port situated in the Yellow River basin. With the Qingdao Qianwan International Logistic Park nearby, logistical services such as custom clearance and warehousing are readily available.
Dalian
- The Port of Dalian is located at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula in Northeastern China. It is a strategic ice free port. The port has an inland transport network with train services to major cities in the region.
Major China Shipping Companies
China Ocean Shipping (Group) Co or COSCO, the Chinese shipping giant is one of the largest shipping companies in the world as measured by millions of tons shipped. In addition to COSCO, the Shipping industry in China has been dominated by two other state owned giants, Sinotrans and China Shipping. These three major China shipping companies control the bulk of the market share within China’s shipping industry.
China Shipping Summary
The link between China Shipping and the Import and Export trade within China has been evident for many centuries. Importers from the European nations have been visiting this country and building an international trade for generations. China shipping has facilitated the success of this trade. It will continue to be an important part of China’s economy in the future.