Ningbo-Zhoushan Port is drawing more cargo from inland China to global markets, with businesses in 67 cities across 16 provinces now connected to its sea-rail intermodal network.

In the first seven months of 2026, companies based outside Ningbo handled 1.08 trillion yuan ($160.61 billion) in imports and exports through Ningbo ports, up 10.6 percent year-on-year, accounting for 64.7 percent of the port's total foreign trade, with foreign trade by companies based outside Zhejiang growing 18.2 percent.

This network is also helping manufacturers in inland cities overcome their distance from the coast. In Bengbu, Anhui province, exporters can now use a container depot operated by Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, cutting the time containers remain in use by half and lowering logistics costs.

Ningbo has also strengthened port cooperation with cities including Hefei, Chongqing, Wuhan, Changsha, and Jiujiang, allowing customs and logistics data to be shared across regions and making cargo handling more efficient. 

A combination of faster rail links and shipping services helps inland cargo reach the port and move overseas more quickly, with the Yiwu (Suxi) International Hub Port, which opened more than a year ago, handling over 15 billion yuan in imports and exports and 220,000 TEUs of containers.

The growing network is giving manufacturers far from China's coast a more direct route to international markets through Ningbo-Zhoushan Port.