Photo shows a view of Nansha Port in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province. 

The container throughput of Nansha Port, the largest port unit of Guangzhou Port Group (GPG), has reached 20 million standard containers this year, marking a new milestone and scale for the international shipping hub in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province.

After reaching 20 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), the Guangzhou port's international hub status will be further elevated, helping to greatly enhance its capacity in serving national strategies and regional economic development, according to the group.

"We will strengthen deep cooperation with shipping and logistics enterprises, coastal ports and industries near the port, to form a development pattern driven by major ports, logistics, industries and platforms," said Huang Bo, Party chief, chairman and general manager of GPG.

In the international maritime industry, the evaluation of a port hub's significance is usually based on its throughput volume and container handling capacity.

Guangzhou Port is one of China's largest domestic container hubs, with its throughput in the first eleven months exceeding 23 million standard containers, according to the group.

The first three phases of Nansha Port were completed and put into operation in 2004, 2007 and 2017, respectively, with the fully automated terminal of phase IV already passing completion acceptance in November.

Rapid progress has also been made in the construction of more major projects, including an international multipurpose terminal and phase V in Nansha Port, helping promote the scale, intensification and intelligence of port logistics facilities, according to the port company.

Along with maintaining its position as the top domestic container hub in the country, the throughput of foreign trade containers in Nansha Port has also surpassed 10 million standard containers for the first time, with an expected year-on-year growth of over 13 percent.

"Foreign trade containers now account for half of the total container throughput in Nansha Port, a rarity among global ports," said Wang Shaling, director of the container operation center at Guangzhou Port Group.

Currently, Nansha Port has opened 200 container liner routes, with 165 foreign trade routes covering Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, Latin America and other parts of the world.

Among the routes, there are nearly 150 routes to countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative and close to 100 routes to member countries of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world's largest free trade pact.

Additionally, 35 domestic trade routes are closely integrated with China's north-south cargo transportation network, according to the port company.

Looking back over the past 20 years, Homa Appliances, a major exporter of refrigerators, has been a participant in the development of Nansha Port and a witness to its growth.

Since the opening of Nansha Port in 2006, Homa's goods exports from the port have grown by 110 times, with the export volume reaching 220,000 TEUs in 2024, said Yao Youjun, president of Homa Appliances, which is based in Zhongshan, Guangdong.

"As the only deepwater port in the Pearl River Delta region, Nansha Port enjoys unique geographical advantages with short transport radii and low port-to-port transportation costs," said Yao.

The ability for large vessels to dock directly allows the company to load directly onto large ships from the port of departure, saving lighterage costs and reducing logistics expenses.

"The utilization of the fully automated terminals will further enhance port operation efficiency, reduce cargo turnover times, and provide stronger support for our export business," said Yao.

With the enhancement of the water shuttle bus boutique routes and an increase in sea-rail intermodal transportation, the port has extended closer to the company's factory in Zhongshan, Guangdong, providing a more comprehensive and efficient logistics channel for goods transportation, according to Yao.