Rotterdam offers key support to Chinese industrial port

ROTTERDAM - Officials of Port of Rotterdam International have concluded and signed a Port Service Agreement with the northern Tianjin, China-based Nangang Industrial Port Complex. This accord makes the Port of Rotterdam the first foreign port authority to become actively involved in a Chinese port. The Dutch port has had representation in China since 1979 and an office in Shanghai since 1987. It will assist Nangang in port management for a period of 5 years. As well, the parties have expressed their intent to avoid restricting their relationship to the service agreement alone and to simultaneously investigate the possibilities of a partnership of the Dutch in the Nangang port. For now their responsibilities include port planning, operational procedures and traffic management. Nangang port is a Greenfield port with a surface of 200 square kilometres, located 165 km from Beijing. It will accommodate petrochemical, metallurgical and heavy industry based firms and will become the largest industrial port complex in northern China.