UN/LOCODE: CNYNT📍 China
Port of Yantai (UN/LOCODE CNYNT)
❖ Coordinates: 37.4638°N, 121.4479°E
❖ Time Zone: Asia/Shanghai
❖ UN/LOCODE: CNYNT
## About the Port
Yantai Port (UN/LOCODE: **CNYNT**) is a deep‑water, multi‑modal gateway on the northeastern coast of the Shandong Peninsula, China. Situated at **37.463822 ° N, 121.447935 ° E** and operating under the **Asia/Shanghai** time zone (UTC +8), the port lies at the nexus of the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea, offering rapid access to the maritime corridors that link East Asia with the Pacific Rim, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
Administratively managed by the **Yantai Port Group Co., Ltd.**, the facility serves the prefecture‑level city of Yantai, a key industrial and tourism hub in Shandong Province. The port’s strategic location—approximately 300 km east of Qingdao and 500 km south of Dalian—makes it a complementary node in the **North Sea Economic Belt**, enhancing regional logistics integration and supporting the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) maritime component.
Key performance indicators (as of 2023) include:
| Indicator | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Annual cargo throughput | ~ **210 Mt** (million tonnes) |
| Container TEU handling | **4.2 Mt** (million TEUs) |
| Number of berths | **38** (including 12 container berths) |
| Draft (maximum) | **16.5 m** (deep‑water) |
| Direct rail connections | 4 mainlines to the China Railway network |
| Adjacent free‑trade zone | Yantai Export Processing Zone (YPZ) |
The port’s modern information systems, such as the **Port Community System (PCS)** and real‑time vessel traffic service (VTS), enable seamless data exchange among shipping lines, terminal operators, customs, and hinterland transport providers.
---
## History
Yantai’s seafaring legacy dates back to the **Qing dynasty**, when the natural harbor was used for coastal defense and limited foreign trade. The **Treaty of Shimonoseki (1895)** opened Yantai (then “Chefoo”) to international commerce, prompting the construction of the first slipways and warehouses by foreign consulates.
During the early Republic of China era (1912‑1949), the port was modernized with dredging works that deepened the navigation channels to 10 m, allowing medium‑size cargo ships to call. Post‑1949, the People’s Republic of China invested heavily in port infrastructure as part of the First Five‑Year Plan, establishing state‑owned stevedoring enterprises and expanding the berth count.
The 1990s marked a turning point: **Yantai Port Group** was formed in 1992, integrating previously fragmented operations. Subsequent phases of development—**Phase I (1998‑2004)**, **Phase II (2005‑2012)**, and the ongoing **Phase III (2013‑present)**—focused on containerization, mechanization, and hinterland connectivity. Notably, the construction of the **Yantai Deep‑Water Channel** in 2009 (final depth 16.5 m) lifted the port into the top‑tier class of Chinese deep‑water terminals.
Yantai’s role in the BRI gained momentum after the 2015 launch of the “**Maritime Silk Road**” policy, with the port becoming a designated **“Key Transit Port”** for trans‑Pacific and Eurasian routes. The establishment of the **Yantai Export Processing Zone** in 2016 further cemented its status as a logistics hub for value‑added manufacturing and re‑export activities.
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## Infrastructure & Facilities
### Terminals
| Terminal | Primary Cargo | Berths | Equipment |
|----------|---------------|--------|-----------|
| **Container Terminal A** | TEU containers | 6 (incl. 2 Super‑Post-Panamax) | 10 Quay Cranes (45‑50 m outreach), 12 Rubber‑Tired Gantry Cranes |
| **General Cargo Terminal** | Bulk, break‑bulk, project cargo | 8 | 6 Mobile Cranes (30‑40 t), 2 Heavy‑Lift Cranes (120 t) |
| **Oil & Gas Terminal** | Crude oil, LPG, chemicals | 4 | 4 Marine Loading Arms, 2 Shore‑side Storage Tanks (10 Mt total) |
| **Automotive Terminal** | Vehicles, parts | 4 | 2 RoRo Ramps, 2 Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) systems |
| **Cold‑Chain Terminal** | Perishables, pharmaceuticals | 2 | 30 Refrigerated Containers, 3 Walk‑through Cold Rooms |
The port’s **quay length** totals approximately **9.4 km**, with a **maximum draft** of 16.5 m enabling the accommodation of vessels up to **400,000 DWT** (e.g., ULCC tankers, 20‑inch containers).
### Hinterland Connectivity
- **Rail**: Four dedicated rail sidings connect to the **Jinan‑Qingdao** and **Xuzhou‑Lianyungang** corridors, providing a combined rail capacity of 20 MT per day.
- **Road**: The **G18 Expressway** and **S15 Provincial Highway** intersect the port area, facilitating container truck throughput of up to 5,000 TEU per hour.
- **Multimodal Logistics Parks**: Adjacent to the port, the **Yantai International Logistics Park** encompasses 1,200 ha, offering warehousing, bonded storage, and e‑commerce fulfillment services.
### Digital & Environmental Initiatives
- **Port Community System (PCS)**: Integrated platform covering customs clearance, berth allocation, and cargo tracking, reducing vessel turnaround time by 15 % (2022 data).
- **Smart Port Pilot**: Deployment of IoT sensors on quay cranes and automated guided vehicles, improving equipment utilization to 85 %.
- **Green Port Program**: Installation of shore‑power facilities for 30 % of berths, adoption of low‑sulfur diesel (≤0.5 %) for port‑owned vehicles, and a 2021–2026 CO₂ reduction target of 25 % versus 2015 baseline.
For an official overview of Yantai’s facilities, see the **Yantai Port Group annual report↗**.
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## Economic Importance
Yantai Port is a linchpin of Shandong’s export‑driven economy, contributing an estimated **¥ 120 billion** (≈ US $17 bn) to regional GDP annually. Its diversified cargo mix—containerized goods, crude oil, steel, agricultural products, and automobiles—supports:
1. **Manufacturing**: The port serves the large‑scale **steel and petrochemical complexes** in the neighboring **Weifang–Laiwu** industrial belt, handling over 60 % of the region’s raw material imports.
2. **Agriculture & Food Processing**: Fresh produce from the **Yantai–Weifang** agrarian zone, especially apples, pears, and seafood, is shipped via the cold‑chain terminal to Southeast Asian markets.
3. **Automotive Assembly**: International OEMs—such as **Toyota** and **Volkswagen**—use Yantai as a trans‑shipment hub for CKD (Completely Knocked Down) kits destined for inland assembly plants.
4. **Energy**: The oil & gas terminal’s 3.5 Mt annual handling capacity underpins the energy security of Shandong’s power grid and petrochemical refineries.
The port’s **Free‑Trade Zone (FTZ)** attracts foreign direct investment (FDI) by offering tax incentives, streamlined customs procedures, and 100 % foreign‑owned enterprise rights. Since the FTZ’s inception, cumulative FDI inflows have exceeded **US $3.4 bn**, with a focus on high‑value electronics, logistics services, and marine engineering.
Yantai’s connectivity to the **China‑Europe Railway Express** further enhances its value proposition, enabling intermodal shipments that combine sea and rail legs for time‑critical cargo. The port’s participation in the **International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s “Clean Cargo”** initiative underscores its commitment to sustainable trade, a factor increasingly important to global shippers.
---
## Trade Routes & Major Cargo
### Primary Trade Lanes
| Destination Region | Main Vessel Types | Typical Voyage Duration |
|--------------------|-------------------|--------------------------|
| **East Asia** (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan) | Feeder Container Ships (2,000–3,000 TEU) | 2–4 days |
| **Southeast Asia** (Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia) | Pan‑Pan and LoLo vessels | 5–7 days |
| **Europe** (Northern Europe, Mediterranean) | Ultra‑Large Container Vessels (ULCV, 18,000 TEU) via the **Northern Sea Route** (seasonal) or **Suez Canal** | 25–30 days |
| **North America** (West Coast) | Post‑Panamax and ULCV via the **Pacific Ocean** | 15–18 days |
| **Inland China** (via rail) | Double‑stack rail containers | 5–7 days from port to inland destination |
Yantai’s deep‑water berths accommodate **VLCCs** (Very Large Crude Carriers) and **Capesize bulk carriers**, enabling direct imports of iron ore from Australia and Brazil, as well as coal from Indonesia.
### Top Commodity Groups (2023)
| Cargo Category | Annual Volume | Share of Total Throughput |
|----------------|---------------|---------------------------|
| **Containerized manufactured goods** (electronics, apparel, machinery) | 4.2 Mt TEU | 20 % |
| **Crude oil & petroleum products** | 2.5 Mt | 12 % |
| **Iron ore & steel** | 3.1 Mt | 15 % |
| **Automobiles & parts** | 0.9 Mt | 4 % |
| **Agricultural products** (fresh fruit, frozen seafood) | 1.2 Mt | 6 % |
| **Chemicals & fertiliser** | 0.8 Mt | 4 % |
| **Project cargo & heavy machinery** | 0.5 Mt | 2 % |
| **Other bulk (coke, sand)** | 1.8 Mt | 9 % |
| **Transit & re‑export cargo** | 4.0 Mt | 18 % |
The port’s ability to handle **mixed cargo**—from ultra‑large tankers to RoRo vessels—makes it an attractive hub for **trans‑shipment**. The **Yantai–Hong Kong Shipping Line**, operated by COSCO Shipping, runs a weekly service that links Yantai directly with the **Port of Hong Kong**, facilitating re‑exports to the broader South‑East Asian market.
### Emerging Trends
- **Digital Trade**: Adoption of blockchain‑based bill of lading platforms is being piloted with major Chinese carriers, aiming to cut document processing time by 30 %.
- **Cold‑Chain Expansion**: With growing demand for high‑value perishables in the EU and Middle East, Yantai plans to double its cold‑storage capacity by 2027.
- **Renewable Energy Imports**: The port is positioning itself as a gateway for **wind turbine components** sourced from Europe, aligning with China’s renewable energy targets.
For a broader perspective on China’s port network, refer to the **UNCTAD Review of Maritime Transport 2023↗**, which lists Yantai among the top 20 container ports by TEU volume.
Port Intelligence
UN/LOCODE
CNYNT
Country
China
Province / Region
Shandong
Latitude
37.463822
Longitude
121.447935
Timezone
Asia/Shanghai
Nautical Map (OpenSeaMap)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UN/LOCODE for Port of Yantai?
The official UN/LOCODE for Port of Yantai is CNYNT.
Where is Port of Yantai located?
The Port of Yantai is located in China, Shandong. Its coordinates are 37.4638°N, 121.4479°E.
What time zone is Port of Yantai in?
Port of Yantai operates in the Asia/Shanghai time zone.
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About the World Port Index
This data is sourced programmatically. The UN/LOCODE is the official geographic coding scheme used by the United Nations for trade and transport locations.
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