There is now an evaluation guideline for smart port levels.

March 26, 2026

China Government Website

8193

Guide

Highlights at a glance

Recently, the Ministry of Transport officially released the "Smart Port Rating Evaluation Guide (Trial)", marking that my country's smart port construction has entered a new stage of standardized and systematic evaluation. The purpose of the guide is to provide clear guidance for the construction of smart ports by establishing a scientific grade evaluation system, and to promote the construction of world-class ports by evaluation and evaluation. At present, the development of smart ports in my country has achieved remarkable results. 60 automated container and dry bulk terminals have been built, with automated berths accounting for about 28%, and the overall level is in the forefront of the world. Starting from the four core dimensions of digital base, production operation, operation management and external service, the evaluation system sets 13 first-level indicators and 25 second-level indicators, and divides the smart port into three levels: first-level (leading type), second-level (advanced type) and third-level (basic type). The evaluation work is carried out independently by port enterprises, announced after the China Port Association and China Water Transport Construction Industry Association, and implemented dynamic management. The guide is mainly applicable to specialized terminals, port areas or ports for containers and dry bulk that have been put into operation for not less than two years, and provides a unified evaluation basis for the intelligent development level of major ports in the country.

　　Recently, the Ministry of Transport officially issued the "Smart Port Level Evaluation Guide (Trial)", establishing a scientific and systematic smart port level evaluation system. This sets a benchmark for the construction of smart ports in China, promoting world-class port construction through evaluation-driven development and usage.

　　Currently, China's smart port construction has made positive progress, with the level of automation technology and application scale generally leading internationally. A total of 60 automated container and dry bulk cargo terminals have been built, with approximately 28% of automated berths being over ten thousand tons, achieving a "partial lead" in the overall level of automated terminals.

　　Considering the current development status of smart ports in China, the guide proposes 13 primary indicators and 25 secondary indicators across four dimensions: digital foundation, production operations, operational management, and external services. Smart ports are divided into three levels: Level 1 (Leading), Level 2 (Advanced), and Level 3 (Basic). In terms of implementation, it specifies the evaluation process where port enterprises conduct self-evaluation, and the China Ports Association and China Water Transport Construction Industry Association verify and announce the results, along with dynamic management and application of the evaluation results.

　　The guide targets container and dry bulk cargo specialized terminals, port areas, or ports that have been in formal operation for no less than two years as evaluation objects. It is also applicable to the level evaluation activities of smart development at major ports nationwide.

(Source: People's Daily)

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