Automated guided vehicles at the Yangshan Phase IV Automated Terminal operate efficiently and silently despite the current prevailing high temperatures. [Photo/Yan Shijun]

The Yangshan deep-water port in East China's Shanghai reported a spike in activity on July 18 at 1:00 pm as 16 international vessels docked simultaneously, following the consecutive arrival of four ships.

The bustling scene amid the summer heat and busy dock operations resulted in a total of 38 ship movements that day, representing the highest level of traffic in the past week.

This year, Yangshan Port has seen an unprecedented surge in traffic. The crisis in the Red Sea has forced some vessels on the European and East Coast American routes to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, extending their voyages and necessitating more ships.

Add to that, many large-capacity vessels, each exceeding 20,000 TEUs – or 20,000 containers holding capacity – are currently undergoing maintenance, requiring smaller vessels to handle the increased cargo load.

Data from the Yangshan Immigration Inspection station showed that in the first half of the year, over 5,000 international ship arrivals and departures were inspected, a 5.5 percent increase year-on-year.

What's more, the number of inbound and outbound passengers topped 122,000, reflecting 5.1 percent year-on-year growth, both setting records  for the period.

All in all, over 8,500 administrative permits were issued in the six months for personnel boarding and disembarking from foreign vessels, a 1.6 percent increase on the previous year. More than 6,200 international ship crew members registered staff changes at Yangshan Port, a significant 46 percent increase compared with the same period last year.

To manage the increased border inspections workload, the Yangshan Immigration Inspection station has implemented several measures to ensure safety and efficiency.

These include the use of mobile inspection vehicles and relocating inspection windows closer to the docks to enhance clearance efficiency – as well as deploying police dogs, aerial drones and big data analytics to improve surveillance and responses.

Additionally, the station is enhancing individual competencies through professional assessments, police skills training and refining frontline inspection skills to ensure rapid and effective handling of routine checks and emergencies.

Source: thepaper.cn, Shanghai Observer