The development of port logistics is a long and arduous task

Port logistics is a new term that has only appeared frequently in academic discussions and various media in recent years. Port logistics refers to the central port city utilizing its own port advantages, relying on advanced software and hardware environments, strengthening its radiation ability on logistics activities around the port, highlighting the strengths of port cargo collection, inventory, and distribution, based on the port industry, supported by information technology, and aiming to optimize the integration of port resources, to develop a comprehensive port service system that covers all links of the logistics industry chain.

In recent years, China's port logistics has made significant progress, especially in bonded logistics parks, which have become the highlight of port logistics. However, there are still many aspects that are still in the traditional logistics state, whether in terms of logistics awareness or logistics hardware facilities, there is still a significant gap compared to advanced modern logistics abroad. Industry insiders have pointed out that the value of Chinese ports is not high, and there is a significant gap between them and developed countries' ports in promoting regional development and national economy. The most prominent manifestation is the lagging development of port logistics, low degree of internationalization, marketization, and modernization, insufficient adaptability to economic and social development, and prominent structural contradictions.

At present, second-generation ports are still the mainstream of development among major ports in the world, but with economic globalization, market internationalization, and information networking, some large ports have begun to transform into third-generation ports. The third-generation port is positioned as an "international logistics center". The main characteristics and trends of current port logistics development include the formation of highly integrated "big logistics" towards internationalization, scale, and systematization, the further expansion of service functions through "value-added logistics", the creation of technology intensive "smart ports", and the development of "virtual logistics chain control centers".

Under the modern logistics concept, traditional ports will become centers for cargo transportation, aggregation, value-added, assembly, and distribution, and control the timely flow of goods. The quality of ports is no longer solely determined by the speed of ships entering and leaving, the speed and quality of cargo handling at ports, but increasingly depends on the quality of connections with the hinterland and the quality of value-added services such as logistics and information. In this situation, China's port logistics industry has a long way to go and should be based on reality, seize opportunities, and enhance the core competitiveness of China's port logistics from all aspects.