Regarding Ningbo's port and shipping industry, the sector has long been characterized by the saying "big port, small shipping." Despite wearing the crown of "world's largest port," its overall shipping service industry capacity remains relatively weak.
One constraining factor lies in insufficient ship management and service capabilities. Previously, most local ship management services were operated concurrently by shipping companies themselves, with relatively scarce independent, specialized third-party management services. The practice of "external system attachment" was particularly problematic, hanging like a sword of Damocles over Ningbo's shipping safety. These Ningbo-registered vessels would attach their safety management systems to companies in other regions, often leading to detention, violations, and safety accidents due to regulatory gaps.
In recent years, Ningbo has been committed to "addressing shortcomings." On one hand, it has promoted rapid development of local ship management companies. For example, Ningbo Fuxing Ship Management Co., Ltd. identified the pain point of "external system attachment" and through custody services, helped multiple vessels "go legitimate" and resume operations, while significantly reducing accident and detention rates.
On the other hand, it has actively introduced leading enterprises to align with international markets. Recently, global shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) established operations in Ningbo, founding Mediterranean Shipping Company Ship Management (Ningbo) Co., Ltd.
The industrial chain dilemma of "Ningbo counts containers, Hong Kong counts documents, London counts money" remains the current reality. Ningbo's introduction of international ship management giants, working together with local enterprises to strengthen the ship management cluster, represents a realistic choice for breaking the "big port, small shipping" pattern.
Professional and scaled ship management can both address safety shortcomings and drive capacity improvement, thereby promoting the gradual development of high-end shipping service industries. In other words, if Ningbo can solidify its main business as a "fleet manager," it can not only upgrade the port from a "cargo throughput hub" to a high-value "shipping management center," but also drive the overall capacity enhancement of the entire city.
In fact, Ningbo's "big port, small shipping" dilemma also reflects the global port and shipping industry's transformation and upgrading trends. In the past, competition focused on port throughput and hinterland economies; today, the competition centers more on shipping service systems and rule-making authority. Most Chinese ports primarily focus on "counting containers," with few truly capable of making efforts in "counting documents" and "counting money" segments.
To break the "big port, small shipping" pattern, Ningbo must internalize the institutional experience, talent resources, and service models brought by global shipping giants into its own capabilities, thereby promoting local institutional innovation and industrial upgrading.
Although the ship management cluster is taking initial shape, Ningbo currently faces numerous challenges. For instance, collection and distribution shortcomings. Ningbo Zhoushan Port heavily relies on road transportation for collection and distribution, with relatively insufficient hinterland depth. While the proportion of sea-rail intermodal transport increases annually, the overall share remains low, and inland waterway bottlenecks are evident, weakening service radiation capacity.
To some extent, "big port, small shipping" is not just Ningbo's problem alone. However, in exploring pathways, different cities have their respective focus areas. Shanghai is accelerating the construction of an international shipping center, with a complete shipping industry ecosystem and comprehensive high-end segments including finance, insurance, and arbitration, focusing more on "rule-making." Ningbo Zhoushan Port, leveraging its throughput volume and manufacturing hinterland, primarily serves as the "capacity champion" for cargo import and export. Cities like Suzhou and Nanjing rely on inland waterway networks to develop multimodal transport, while Zhoushan leads in policies for bonded fuel supply and cross-port fuel services.
Currently, the establishment of global shipping giants provides Ningbo with more windows of opportunity for institutional, capital, and talent resources. In the long term, besides continuously strengthening the ship management cluster, Ningbo needs to deepen institutional innovation, dare to pilot programs and form "combination punches," while leveraging platforms like the "Maritime Silk Road Index" to explore more "rule exports" and compete for international discourse power.
Under the backdrop of integrated development, the Yangtze River Delta should also explore more collaborative problem-solving approaches. In the future, around Shanghai's international shipping center's "one body, two wings" framework, more cities like Ningbo and Zhoushan can strengthen their respective advantages through division of labor and coordination, giving the Yangtze River Delta more confidence in building a world-class port cluster.