Preparing for Spring Farming, Qingdao Port of Shandong Port Opens First Fertilizer "Bulk-to-Container" Water-Water Transshipment New Channel

Qilu Evening News · Qilu One Point Reporter Zhao Bo

Spring plowing and preparation, agricultural supplies come first. Currently, spring farming across the country is fully underway from south to north. Ensuring the supply of key agricultural materials like fertilizers is a top priority for a bountiful harvest this year. As an important import and export hub for fertilizers in northern China, Qingdao Port in Shandong Province is committed to national grain security strategies, continuously innovating logistics models and opening supply channels to support spring farming from all angles.

On March 18, at the general cargo terminal in the Dagang Port Area of Qingdao Port, a batch of imported bulk fertilizers from Russia and Jordan was efficiently unloaded. Instead of the usual bagging and land transportation, the fertilizers were directly loaded into 349 standard containers and shipped northward via domestic container ships by sea to the main grain-producing regions in Northeast China. This innovative approach marks Qingdao Port’s first new water-water intermodal transportation channel for imported fertilizers from bulk to container, achieving precise “door-to-door” connection, effectively reducing transportation losses, and ensuring high-quality agricultural supplies reach the fields in optimal condition, precisely matching planting schedules.

Ensuring the transportation of agricultural supplies is equivalent to safeguarding grain production. Since the beginning of this year, under the coordinated deployment of the National Development and Reform Commission, Qingdao Port has proactively taken responsibility. Relying on a comprehensive multimodal transportation system, it has innovated new water routes for transporting supplies by water, creating customized multimodal transport solutions for clients. This has formed a multi-line, mutually supportive spring plowing guarantee pattern. According to Qingdao Customs statistics, from January to February, Qingdao port imported 94,000 tons of fertilizer, a 155.1% increase year-on-year, valued at 280 million yuan, covering major grain-producing areas such as North China, Northeast China, and the Huang-Huai region, providing reliable logistics support for spring farming.

For large agricultural machinery, seeds, pesticides, and other critical spring farming materials, Qingdao Port also adheres to the principles of “priority berthing, priority operation, and priority dispatch.” Working closely with customs, maritime authorities, and other departments, it promotes facilitation measures such as “advance declaration” and “appointment clearance,” achieving “zero waiting time” at port and “zero delays” in unloading ships for spring supplies, building a comprehensive, high-efficiency “green logistics artery” for spring farming support.

From a maritime hub to fertile fields, Qingdao Port is leveraging its port hub advantages to deeply integrate into the national fertilizer reserve system. In the future, Qingdao Port will continue to deepen logistics organizational innovations, expand multimodal transport networks, and demonstrate greater contributions in serving new development patterns and promoting the construction of a strong agricultural nation.