On July 16, under the supervision of Tianjin Customs, the vessel Namli carrying 60,000 tons of imported manganese ore from South Africa successfully berthed at Yuanhang International Ore Terminal of Tianjin Port and commenced unloading operations. Statistics show that Tianjin Port handled 61.679 million tons of imported mineral products in January–June this year, representing a year-on-year increase of 9.45%.
As a key mineral product transit hub in northern China, Tianjin Port sources cargo from major global producing regions including Brazil and Guinea. It has built a diversified supply system covering multiple regions, mineral varieties and supply channels. Every year, the port delivers over 100 million tons of raw materials to iron and steel enterprises in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, North China and Northwest China, effectively guaranteeing the regional industrial and supply chains.
Given the features of imported mineral shipments including large vessel sizes, wide-ranging origins and diverse product categories, Tianjin Customs targets rapid inspection and expedited clearance. It has set up a dedicated policy service team named “Enterprise Service Assistant” to share pro-business policies such as advance declaration and conditional release. Enterprises are guided to complete online declarations before vessel berthing. Tasks including verification of vessel declaration data and risk assessment of infectious diseases among crew members are moved forward to the anchorage stage. Centering on the demand for tidal-based operations for large bulk carriers, the Customs carries out joint boarding inspections together with other port inspection authorities, boosting vessel inspection efficiency. Shipping companies can truly experience clearance services featuring minimal disruption and comprehensive support.
“While optimizing traditional supervision models, we are actively adopting smart supervision tools such as electronic quarantine and intelligent inspection assistants. Crew health verification and vessel sanitary inspections are completed online. Intelligent equipment helps customs officers quickly identify risks such as radioactive substances and solid waste, striking a balance between clearance efficiency and operational safety,” said Wang Hongtao, Chief of the 3rd Inspection Section, Tianjin Nanjiang Customs, an affiliate of Tianjin Customs.
(Report by Wu Yun and Wang Hongtao)
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Author’s Note: Materials sourced from Tianjin Customs 12360 Hotline. The incident described took place in Tianjin on July 20, 2026.
Website of General Administration of Customs: Mineral Imports via Tianjin Port Rise 9.45% Year-on-Year in First Half of Year
