The busiest port in the world is playing chess, and the direction of this game is changing the landscape of international shipping.

A industry insider recently said something profound: Emotionally, we hope that Asian trade continues to converge, but reality tells us that the pattern is being disrupted.

Numbers speak the loudest. Last year, the total tonnage of vessels arriving at a leading port reached 3.11 billion tons, setting a historical record, while the container throughput surpassed the 40 million TEU mark, reaching 41.12 million. This is not just a number; it represents decades of accumulated global shipping networks, world-class infrastructure, and a mature operational system.

The reason this port can maintain its absolute leadership position relies on three things: top-notch hardware facilities, transparent and efficient trade procedures, and a sound legal and financial system.

The trade process is particularly crucial. The electronic declaration system allows enterprises to handle procedures without running around. When faced with congestion on shipping routes, new berths can be opened immediately, and personnel can be dispatched, with barge operations running overnight, ensuring efficiency is not compromised. The legal system is a real ace up the sleeve—following the common law tradition, shipping disputes are handled by professional judges, and typically take over a year from filing to resolution, with judgments recognized by multiple countries, providing reassurance to shipowners. Financial services offer a one-stop solution, helping enterprises save costs on insurance, financing, and fueling, among other trivial matters.

Location is also an advantage - situated at a global chokepoint, one-third of the world's container ships have to stop here. Transshipment trade accounts for 90%, with the transshipment trade volume skyrocketing to $380 billion in 2024. This position seems as solid as a rock.

But the risks have quietly emerged.

The emerging port across the way has been very active recently. It has formed a pattern of multi-port linkage, with 86 ten-thousand-ton berths and a designed annual throughput capacity of 280 million tons, allowing large cargo ships to dock directly. The density of shipping routes is increasing—direct ocean routes to Europe and North America, coastal coverage of ASEAN countries, and domestic trade linking East China and North China, with a network of 72 scheduled shipping routes that is already sufficient to meet global demand.

The most heartbreaking aspect is the attractiveness of the policy. By flying a specific flag, one can enjoy zero tariff treatment, saving millions in costs for a large ship. A total tax rebate of 400 million, with foreign ships exempt from taxes exceeding 1.1 billion, and the number of registered international vessels surpassing 60, with a total deadweight tonnage of 6.35 million tons. Who can refuse such favorable policies?

Logistics efficiency is also catching up. The three corridors in the east, middle, and west are built very practically. After a certain route was opened, the waiting time for trucks was reduced from two to three days to eight to nine hours, and transaction costs decreased by 6% to 8%. Some innovative models have increased the utilization rate of vessels by 37%, and corporate logistics costs have directly dropped by 21%. The multi-modal transport special train in the west reaches six inland provinces, with costs 15% cheaper than traditional corridors and speeds faster by 20 days. Electronic declaration is completed in 10 minutes, and foreign oil tankers can complete all procedures in just over 3 hours.

The "one-stop service" makes it convenient for enterprises—fueling, unloading, and tax refunds in one go, with raw materials processed in the port increasing value by 30% and tax exemption, reducing the tax burden for enterprises compared to competitors. Previously, forty giant ships had already bypassed traditional routes to head towards new ports, as it can save 2000 kilometers of voyage, arrive a week earlier, and reduce costs by 30%.

Now nearly a thousand shipping companies are flocking to this emerging port, covering various fields such as transportation, management, and finance, and a trillion-level industrial cluster is about to take shape.

This doesn’t mean that the established ports will be doomed tomorrow. The global route network and mature industrial chain accumulated over decades are still there, and the high-end hub status in the short term cannot be shaken. However, the advantages of emerging ports are too obvious – they are close to Southeast Asia while backed by a large market, with policies that support them, increasing efficiency, and specifically connecting regional trade. Those bulk commodities that originally relied on traditional hub transshipment will directly use the new ports in the future, saving money and time, which is a reality that is laid out.

This is not about competitors undermining each other, but rather the global supply chain voting with their feet. Wherever costs are low, processes are fast, and policy support is strong, business will flow there. This kind of diversion is not a prediction, but an inevitability.