On the afternoon of April 29, 2020, the "Global Port Development Report (2019)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report") press conference and port development keynote speech of the Shanghai International Shipping Research Center (SISI) expert lecture series were held via video conference live streaming.

The conference was chaired by Zhen Hong, Secretary General of Shanghai International Shipping Research Center and Professor of Shanghai Maritime University, leading the report preparation team as the keynote speaker. Zhao Nan, Assistant Secretary General of SISI and Director of Port Development Research Institute, presided over the conference and released the "Report".

When interpreting the report, Xie Wenqing, Assistant Director of SISI Port Development Research Institute, provided a detailed analysis of the report from eight aspects: global port development environment, production status, global terminal operator development status, terminal investment and construction, the impact of Indian shipping policies on port development, port supply chain and cross-border e-commerce cooperation models, global terminal operator risk resistance and investment, and global cruise port development trends in 2019.

When talking about the development trend of global ports in 2020, Xie Wenqing believed that, affected by the global pandemic of COVID-19 and the soaring cost of shipping under low sulfur oil, the growth rate of global economy and trade will fall sharply in 2020, and the growth rate of global port throughput may fall. Specifically, Asian ports may face negative growth, ports in the Americas and Europe continue to decline, and port growth in Australia is stagnant.

At the same time, the port investment market has been sluggish in the short term, manifested as relatively stable port construction in Asia, a new round of port construction in the East Coast of the United States will be put on hold, the pace of port construction in China will gradually slow down, and the demand for automated terminal construction may increase.

In terms of global terminal operators, the report believes that there will be a resurgence of consolidation, mainly due to terminal operators selling assets to promote consolidation. From the changes in production capacity and operating conditions of important global terminal operators such as COSCO Shipping Port, China Merchants Port, Dubai Ports International, Maersk Terminal, Singapore International Ports Group, and Hutchison Ports, the overall growth rate of global terminal operators is improving.

When predicting the development trend of port supply chain, Xie Wenqing stated that in the future, more emphasis will be placed on comprehensive customized services for customers. For customers, the ultimate benefit of integrating related services is a seamless logistics experience.

For service providers, the wider the coverage of their services, the higher the service fees they can earn. And the extension of supply chain services upstream and downstream also means more customized service solutions and a wider customer base.

At the same time, the port supply chain is also showing a trend towards online development. This not only provides convenience for collaborative development, but also puts forward high requirements for the response speed of the logistics supply chain itself.

How can the port supply chain develop in synergy with cross-border e-commerce?

Xie Wenqing summarized that the essence of the coordinated development of port logistics supply chain and cross-border e-commerce is the deep integration of the port industry into the global logistics supply chain market.

Specifically, in the face of inevitable trends such as decentralization, fragmented orders, and flattened supply chains, port supply chains must seize the opportunity of the "Internet of Things" era. In the future, cross-border trade can be facilitated through third-party cross-border e-commerce platforms, providing end-to-end integrated logistics services.

By leveraging the agglomeration effect of e-commerce platforms, port supply chain service providers need to extend their services to insurance, banking, and other service providers, in addition to collaborating with ports, shipping companies, terminals, freight forwarders, warehousing, customs clearance, and fleets, to develop a cross-border supply chain ecosystem. At the meeting, Professor Zhenhong also exchanged and shared hot topics with online guests.

Firstly, the development of port enterprises is showing a trend of networked layout towards both sea and land. Global terminal operators are strengthening their control over the sea port network, as well as the layout of inland waterless ports, extending port service functions inland.

The second is to create a "process to process" integration, build a logistics supply chain centered on ports, and provide "flexible service" ports with stronger response capabilities to changes in market demand.

The third is to enhance the coordinated development of port and city. For example, the current port area has become an important support for port development, and a three in one development model of "port area+logistics park+port industrial park" can be created.

The fourth is the sustainable development model of ports, which can develop towards the direction of "resource-saving+environmentally friendly".

The fifth is to have full coverage of information and data collection capabilities, and a smart port with advanced digital technology application capabilities will be the only way for the future development of ports.

It is reported that this series of reports has won the second prize for scientific and technological progress from the China Ports Association. In the recently released 2019 Global Shipping Report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, relevant data from the 2018 Global Port Development Report was also cited.