This is the current situation A few access roads to certain port terminals are still closed as are several gas stations in the area, and limited trucking capacity to and from the terminals is naturally causing an even higher demand for coordination and dialogue. Even so, we expect a 'new normal' to set in within the coming 2 weeks.

Severely impacted customers have chosen to ship goods via the closest container ports such as Qingdao, but the majority of our customers still prefers to ship via Xingang (Tianjin) port. Since port activities as well as customs and CIQ (inspections authorities) have resumed work and several terminals are up and running, the current situation is manageable from a logistics perspective.

The tragedy in Tianjin will require all participants along the supply chain to ensure that dangerous goods are handled in full compliance with the Chinese regulations. The government will very likely not only introduce stricter regulations on dangerous goods handling, but also increase efforts to monitor the enforcement of these regulations. Occasional shipment delays through inspections might be one of the consequences, so we advise our customers to allow sufficient time in their cargo planning for dangerous goods."


DSV in Tianjin Currently, 64 colleagues work for DSV in the Tianjin office, which was opened in 2004. DSV Tianjin handles international air and sea import and export, project transportation and warehouse logistics and processes more than 2,000 shipments each month.

The office is located downtown, which is 70 km away from the warehouse explosions, so luckily the effects have not been felt directly by our Tianjin colleagues, although they are naturally deeply affected by the tragedy.

DSV personnel at our office in Tianjin

Tianjin city and port
The city of Tianjin and the surrounding area is the home of 15 million people and the port is the largest in Northern China and the gateway to Beijing.

Tianjin Port handled 500 million tonnes of cargo and 13 million TEU of containers in 2013, making it the world's fourth largest port by throughput tonnage and the ninth in container throughput.

The port trades with more than 600 ports in 180 countries and territories around the world. It is served by over 115 regular container lines run by 60 liner companies, including all the top 20 liners.

Expansion in the last two decades has been enormous, going from 30 million tonnes of cargo and 490,000 TEU in 1993 to well beyond 400 million tonnes and 10 million TEU in 2012. Capacity is still increasing at a high rate, with 550-600 million tonnes throughput capacity expected by 2015.

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