Lianyungang Shi
Jiangsu Sheng
China
Lianyungang Port
1. Port Overview
Lianyungang Port is located in northeastern Jiangsu Province, on the coast of the Yellow Sea. It is the eastern bridgehead of the New Eurasian Land Bridge and the largest deep-water seaport in Jiangsu. The port’s uniqueness lies not in its scale but in its corridor: the Longhai–Lanxin Railway reaches the sea here and extends westward, exiting China at Alashankou in Xinjiang, linking Central Asia and Europe, making Lianyungang one of the seaports on the New Eurasian Land Bridge with the shortest transport distance toward Central Asia and Europe.
The status of this corridor dates back a long way. On December 1, 1992, Lianyungang launched China’s earliest international container transport train, regarded as the beginning of international intermodal transport on the New Eurasian Land Bridge. Since then, the China–Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base, the Khorgos–Dongmen dry port, and Aktau Port gradually formed an integrated three-hub layout, and Central Asian transit container trains became a distinctive business of the port.
Statistics under the Ministry of Transport’s port measure show that in 2025 Lianyungang Port completed container throughput of 7.1598 million TEU, up about 7.0% year on year, ranking 11th among coastal ports nationwide; cargo throughput was 367 million tons, up about 6.2% year on year, of which foreign trade cargo accounted for 187 million tons. Compared with 2020 at the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan (252 million tons and 4.8 million TEU), both indicators increased markedly over the five years.
Lianyungang is also one of the international hub seaports designated in national planning. For Bofeng Logistics, the value of Lianyungang Port lies mainly at two ends: one end is export cargo sources from northern Jiangsu and central and western China, and the other end is transit cargo that exits China via Central Asia trains—these two types of cargo have different flows and different operational key points.
2. Port Scale and Facilities
The port area layout of Lianyungang Port is "one body with two wings," namely one main port area plus north and south wings:
- Lianyungang Port Area (Main Body): It consists of five operation areas: Mayao, Miaoling, Xugou, Dadi, and Qitai. Container terminals are concentrated in the Miaoling Operation Area. The container berths in the main port area are 100,000-ton class, and a 150,000-ton-class expansion and upgrade is underway.
- Ganyu Port Area (North Wing): Opened in 2012; Phase I of the south extension of the 100,000-ton-class channel has been completed.
- Xuwei Port Area (South Wing): Opened in 2013; it serves coastal industries and bulk cargo.
- Guanhe Port Area (South Wing): Mainly sea-river intermodal transport; a 50,000-ton-class channel has been opened for use.
Channels have been the area of greatest investment for Lianyungang Port in recent years. The 300,000-ton-class channel was fully opened for use at 00:00 on September 17, 2022. Its Phase II project passed completion acceptance in December 2023. The channel has a water depth of more than 20 meters and is laid out in a "herringbone" shape (the outer channel and the Xuwei channel). The 300,000-ton-class channel expansion and upgrade project has already started. As far as vessel navigation is concerned, the 300,000-ton-class channel still requires tide riding, and the specific tidal window must be determined in conjunction with vessel schedules and pilotage arrangements. This is also a factor that bulk carriers need to consider when scheduling at Lianyungang.
In terms of berths, Lianyungang Port has about 79 seaport berths of 10,000-ton class or above (another count gives 85), 35 inland river berths of 1,000-ton class or above, a maximum berth class of 300,000 tons, and a comprehensive throughput capacity of about 220 million tons, including 3.2 million TEUs of containers.
Automation is a lesson Lianyungang Port is currently catching up on. As of September 2026, Lianyungang Port does not yet have a completed fully automated container terminal. Berths 25# to 27# in the Miaoling Operation Area are undergoing expansion and upgrade. The plan is to build one 150,000-ton-class and one 200,000-ton-class automated container berth, with a designed annual throughput capacity of 1.78 million TEUs, to be completed before June 2027. The supporting software systems are being advanced in stages: the container terminal operating system (TOS) went live in September 2025, and the equipment control system (ECS) went live in January 2026. For cargo owners, the practical implication at this stage is that container pickup and return and yard operations still rely mainly on manual scheduling; appointment and arrival time flexibility is less than at terminals that have already been automated, so trucking arrangements should allow extra buffer.
The number of berths, channel water depth, and designed throughput capacity will be adjusted with expansion projects, and different sources use different statistical scopes. The current data published by the port administration authority shall prevail.
3. Main Routes
3.1 Domestic Coastal Routes
The domestic trade container transport of Lianyungang Port is mainly oriented toward East China and the Bohai Rim, and connects with major coastal ports along the north and south coasts:
| Destination Region | Major Ports | Route Type |
|---|---|---|
| East China | Shanghai, Ningbo, Nantong, Nanjing | Domestic coastal route |
| Bohai Rim | Qingdao, Tianjin, Dalian | Domestic coastal route |
| South China | Guangzhou, Shenzhen | Domestic coastal route |
| North Jiangsu inland waterways | Huai'an, Suqian, and other inland river ports | Sea-river intermodal transport |
Sea-river intermodal transport is a capability that distinguishes Lianyungang Port from most coastal ports: the Guan River Port Area is connected to inland waterways, and cargo along the North Jiangsu inland waterways can first be consolidated by inland barges to the port area and then transshipped to sea-going vessels. This model is similar to the "inland river feeder + mainline" logic of the Pearl River Delta.
The table above lists the reachable directions for domestic trade containers at Lianyungang Port. Reference sailing times are subject to the shipping company's current schedules. Please confirm the current arrangements with us before shipping.
3.2 Main International Routes
The Port of Lianyungang's international business consists of two parts: sea shipping routes and land bridge block trains:
| Direction | Main ports of call or border crossings | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Japan and South Korea | Busan, Tokyo, etc. | Mainly short-sea routes |
| Southeast Asia | Singapore, etc. | Covers major ASEAN base ports |
| Central Asia | Khorgos–East Gate Dry Port, etc. | Exit via the Longhai–Lanxin Railway; Central Asia transit container block trains |
| Europe-bound | Via the Central Asia railway corridor | The land bridge has a clear advantage in transport distance over sea shipping |
The New Eurasian Land Bridge corridor can shorten the transport distance by about 10,000 km compared with sea shipping, but block trains have a lower schedule frequency than sea liner services. It is suitable for time-sensitive cargo in moderate volumes. For specific schedules of sea shipping and block trains, please refer to the booking confirmation and block train plan.
4. Hinterland and Cargo Mix
The hinterland of the Port of Lianyungang has a “two deep corridors” structure: one is northern Jiangsu (Xuzhou, Suqian, Huai'an), and the other comprises the central and western provinces along the Longhai–Lanxin Railway (Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Xinjiang).
- Exports from the Port of Lianyungang: chemical products, mechanical and electrical products, agricultural products
- Imports to the Port of Lianyungang: iron ore, coal, grain, non-ferrous metal ores
The import side is dominated by bulk cargo. Iron ore can be accommodated at a 400,000-tonne-class ore terminal, and the import of grain and non-ferrous metal ores also has well-established conditions. On the export side, chemical products and mechanical and electrical products mostly move in containers, corresponding to the industrial structure of northern Jiangsu and the central and western regions.
Cargo suitable for transport via the Port of Lianyungang: chemical products and mechanical and electrical products are suitable for full-containerload (FCL) transport; when booking space for chemical products, an MSDS and relevant documents are usually required. Iron ore, grain, and other bulk cargo are carried by bulk carriers or through bulk-to-container conversion; for cargo transiting to Central Asia, both railway border-crossing plans and ocean shipping space must be confirmed, and the connection between the two legs is the operational focus.
Bofeng Logistics Experience Sharing: The operational key at the Port of Lianyungang lies in the word “connection.” For transit cargo exported via the land bridge, the ocean and rail legs operate under two separate schedule systems; rail plans must be submitted in advance, and ocean shipping space must be scheduled backward from the cut-off time. We check the schedules of both legs on the same timetable to avoid one leg waiting for the other. For cargo originating from inland waterways in northern Jiangsu, pay attention to seasonal water level changes—during the low-water season, the loading capacity of inland barges is limited; for large-volume batches, it is advisable to allow time for delivering the cargo to the port in batches. In addition, note that although Lianyungang and Qingdao both lie along the Yellow Sea coast, the overland distance between them is about 300 km; when choosing routes for delivering cargo to the port, do not estimate transport costs as if they were adjacent ports.
5. Operational Notes
Lianyungang Port is ice-free year-round and has stable navigation conditions. In operations, three points require particular attention. First, the channel navigation method: the 300,000-tonne-class channel is designed for navigation by riding the tide, and the berthing window for large bulk carriers is constrained by tide levels, so time should be reserved for waiting for the tide when scheduling. Second, the nature of the cargo: chemical bookings require an MSDS and confirmation of an acceptable terminal; dangerous goods must be declared in advance; agricultural exports involve quarantine requirements, and the destination port's entry conditions must be confirmed in advance. Third, corridor connections: goods leaving the country via the land bridge involve railway border crossing plans, and the documents and cut-off times for the sea and rail legs need to be confirmed separately.
Free container use periods are usually subject to the shipping company's and terminal's regulations, and overdue use will incur container demurrage charges; barge schedules for sea-river intermodal transport are affected by water levels, weather, and ship lock scheduling, so the current arrangements should be confirmed before shipment.
FAQ
Q: What is the relationship between Lianyungang Port and Qingdao Port?
Answer: The two are two mutually independent ports that both lie along the Yellow Sea coast, with an overland distance of about 300 km. Lianyungang Port is closer to Rizhao Port, about 120 km. The two ports differ in cargo hinterland and route structure: the core advantage of Lianyungang Port lies in the central and western hinterland along the Longhai–Lanxin Railway and the land bridge corridor, while Qingdao Port has the Shandong Peninsula and the Yellow River basin as its hinterland and has denser foreign trade main lines.
Q: What is the "Eastern Bridgehead of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge"?
Answer: The New Eurasian Continental Bridge refers to the railway corridor that starts from Lianyungang in the east and ends at Rotterdam in the Netherlands in the west. Lianyungang is located at the eastern starting point of this corridor. Goods are transshipped here from sea transport to rail for departure abroad, or after arriving by rail are transshipped to sea-going vessels for outbound shipment; therefore, it is called the Eastern Bridgehead. In 1992, Lianyungang operated the country's earliest international container transport train service.
Q: Can Lianyungang Port handle sea-river intermodal transport?
A: Yes. The Guanhe Port Area has the conditions for sea-river intermodal transport, and the 50,000-ton-class waterway has been opened and is in use. Cargo along inland waterways in northern Jiangsu can be consolidated by inland barges to the port area and then transshipped to sea-going vessels. It should be noted that the loading capacity of inland barges is affected by seasonal changes in water levels, and during the dry season cargo may need to be delivered to the port in batches.
6. Bofeng Logistics Services
Bofeng Logistics provides the following services at the Port of Lianyungang:
- Full Container Load (FCL): standard container types such as 20GP, 40GP, and 40HQ; both port-to-port and door-to-door are available
- Less than Container Load (LCL): consolidated shipments for small and medium batches of chemicals, electromechanical parts, agricultural products, and other cargo
- Domestic Shipping and Sea-River Intermodal Transport: domestic trade container transport to East China, the Bohai Rim, and South China, as well as inland waterway feeder connections
- Customs Declaration and Warehousing: export customs declaration, commodity inspection documentation, and preparation of declaration materials for dangerous goods and chemicals
- Value-Added Services: cargo insurance, labeling and sorting, coordination of the connection between block train and ocean shipping segments, and destination port customs clearance and delivery coordination
Service Features: Familiar with scheduling methods for the two-segment connection of "sea + rail" along the Land Bridge Corridor, and can coordinate railway plans and ocean shipping space for goods departing via Central Asia; for goods originating from inland waterways in northern Jiangsu, combined solutions for inland waterway connection and vessel loading can be provided.
📍 Contact us for real-time freight rates.
Further Reading
- Domestic Ocean Shipping Services: FCL and LCL solutions for domestic coastal container transport
- International Ocean Export Services: FCL and LCL export ocean shipping solutions
- Guide to China's Major Ports: Comparison of the positioning and route characteristics of major domestic container ports
- China-Europe Railway Express Services: Block train transport solutions departing via rail corridors
Related ports: Qingdao Port | Rizhao Port | Shanghai Port
Prepared by the Bofeng Logistics team; content reviewed in September 2026. Port throughput and facility data are based on official releases from port authorities and terminal operators, and figures may differ between sources. Schedules and documentation requirements are subject to booking confirmation.