YANTIAN has completed its first export move under China's new water‑to‑water multimodal transport model, marking a significant breakthrough in Shenzhen’s push to streamline cargo flows and strengthen its role as a major international shipping hub.
The milestone shipment — a container carrying 480 TCL air conditioners — travelled from Zhongshan Port to Yantian Port on July 20 before being loaded onto the mega‑containership OOCL WISDOM bound for Poland.
The move represents the first time export cargo at Yantian has been processed under the Customs‑supervised multimodal model, which allows operators to file a single declaration covering the entire journey.
The launch comes as Shenzhen enters the first year of its 15th Five‑Year Plan and prepares to host the 2026 APEC "China Year," with the city's economy showing strong momentum. Shenzhen's GDP reached CNY1.9843 trillion (US$294.99 billion) in the first half of 2026, up 5.8% year‑on‑year, according to official data.
Feeder services — a core part of YANTIAN's network — continue to expand.
The port now operates 17 feeder services offering more than 90 weekly sailings, connecting the Greater Bay Area with Southwest and Central China and supporting over 100 international shipping services each week.
The port recorded nearly 30% year‑on‑year growth in laden container volume in 2024, followed by another 10% increase in 2025 — its highest ever. Double‑digit growth continued into the first half of 2026.
A new model to unlock efficiency
Before the new model, cargo transshipped via inland river ports had to undergo multiple customs transit procedures, slowing processing and limiting YANTIAN's ability to fully leverage its hub advantages.
Under the revised system, operators submit a single multimodal declaration while retaining flexibility to transfer cargo or adjust domestic logistics routes.
Deng Xiaopeng, head of the Transport Means and Logistics Monitoring Section of Shenzhen Customs, said the new model significantly streamlines declaration requirements by reducing the amount of data to be submitted.
"It also enables the seamless exchange of multimodal logistics information across customs districts, making it well suited to complex, multi-leg inland waterway transport scenarios and greatly enhancing operational flexibility," he said.
To support the rollout, Shenzhen Customs has set up cross‑district information‑sharing and a 24/7 response mechanism, allowing officers to track declarations, transshipment, loading and departure in real time and resolve bottlenecks quickly.
YANTIAN noted that for exporters, the model promises faster turnaround and more predictable logistics during peak seasons.
Wu Chaojia, customs affairs manager of TCL Air Conditioner (Zhongshan) Co., Ltd., said the new model enables the company to allocate production capacity more flexibly.
"Even during peak shipping seasons, we can respond to customer orders more quickly and accurately, further strengthening our competitiveness in the Western European market."
Strengthening Shenzhen's role as a global gateway
As the world's largest single‑site container terminal, YANTIAN's adoption of the water‑to‑water multimodal model marks a major step in enhancing Shenzhen's export efficiency and deepening integration between inland waterways and international shipping routes.
With feeder throughput at record highs and multimodal reforms accelerating, the port is positioned to play an even larger role in supporting China's manufacturing base and expanding the reach of "China‑made" goods to global markets.