China's Yantian Port in Shenzhen, one of the world's largest single-container terminals, is a true global shipping hub, dispatching over 40,000 standard containers daily to destinations worldwide. In the first half of 2026, the port's container throughput reached a record high for the period, with cross-border e-commerce logistics showing particularly rapid acceleration.

The CMA CGM Othello vessel, loaded with nearly 5,000 standard containers, departed Yantian Port for Rotterdam, Netherlands on the evening of July 17. This ship operates on a new express route to Europe launched in April 2026, which cuts transit time by nearly two weeks compared to standard routes, fully meeting the extreme timeliness demands of cross-border e-commerce. Notably, every sailing on this route has been fully loaded since its inception.

At 4 p.m., the operational control center, known as the "port brain" of Shenzhen's Yantian Port, is a hive of activity. Staff issue commands via the operational platform, centrally coordinating all activities across the port's 20 deep-water berths, from loading and unloading mega-vessels to container placement in storage yards and the movement of trucks through gates.

Kang Hongjun, the Duty Manager at Yantian International Container Terminals Ltd., noted that the daily operational volume is approaching 60,000 standard containers, with over 20,000 truck trips processed at the gates. Since 2026, the company has specifically added multiple remote-controlled devices to enhance operational efficiency.

To meet the timeliness requirements of cross-border e-commerce clients, Yantian Port has collaborated with shipping lines to launch more than ten sea express routes. Addressing the pain point of cross-border e-commerce less-than-container-load (LCL) shipments, which involve numerous, scattered consignments where one inspection can delay an entire container, the port has implemented a "inspect first, ship later" model for sea LCL.

Lin Zhilian, Commercial Deputy General Manager at Yantian International Container Terminals Ltd., explained that companies can first send loose goods to designated customs supervision sites. After customs completes inspection, the goods are then packed and shipped. This process compresses customs clearance time by over 50% and saves companies more than 30% in comprehensive costs.

In the first half of 2026, Yantian Port's container throughput exceeded 8.3459 million TEUs, a 10% year-on-year increase, setting another historical record. Cross-border e-commerce has become a significant engine driving the growth of the port's foreign trade container volume.

From Daily Necessities to Tech Products: Yantian Port Facilitates Global Reach for "Made in China"

As a national "super hub" for cross-border e-commerce, Shenzhen is home to over 120,000 cross-border e-commerce sellers, accounting for nearly half of the national total. From daily necessities to technological products, Yantian Port facilitates the global reach of "Made in China" with its efficient services.

Yan Aoyi's company, established just over two years ago, launched its first product—a dynamic ergonomic chair—in the second half of 2025 after research and development, selling it overseas through cross-border e-commerce channels.

Yan Aoyi, the company's Overseas Marketing Head, reported that online sales in overseas markets reached over 100 million yuan in the first quarter and approximately 140 million yuan in the second quarter of 2026. Compared to the second half of 2025, sales for the first half of 2026 increased by nearly 50%. Achieving such sales performance overseas with a startup's first product has been highly encouraging for Yan and her colleagues. She stated that choosing to develop in Shenzhen was primarily due to the city's complete industrial chain support and efficient port logistics, enabling them to establish the entire process from R&D to global expansion in just over two years.

The head of another Shenzhen-based portable fan company explained that a rare heatwave in Europe during May-June 2026 caused severe shortages of portable fans in the local market. They quickly exported replenishment stock via Yantian Port, getting products back on European shelves in a short time.

Company head Chen Liang stated that their growth in the European market in the first half of 2026 was three to five times higher compared to the same period in 2025. The motor, mold, and supply chain industries across the Pearl River Delta can provide them with rapid response.

It is understood that the category structure of Shenzhen's cross-border e-commerce exports is undergoing significant changes. A logistics company head noted that their cross-border e-commerce cargo volume grew by about 30% year-on-year in the first half of 2026. The customer base for smart devices, outdoor smart equipment, and consumer electronics products increased by approximately 15%.

Company head Zhang Peipei mentioned that starting in 2026, products related to AI, technology, smart equipment, and consumer electronics have shown significant growth, indicating continuous product upgrading.

Huang Wei, Deputy Section Chief of the First Vessel Supervision Section at Dapeng Customs (subordinate to Shenzhen Customs), reported that for the first half of the year, the export value of high-value products such as automatic data processing equipment, medical instruments and apparatus, and 3D printers through Yantian Port reached 38.09 billion yuan, 8.62 billion yuan, and 6.39 billion yuan, representing year-on-year growth of 47.7%, 2.7%, and 115.7%, respectively.