by FANG Zhuoran

A.P. Moller - Maersk has opened a 1-billion-yuan ($140 million) logistics facility in Shanghai"s Lingang free-trade zone, its largest warehouse investment in China, as the Danish carrier expands further into end-to-end supply-chain services.

The site, in the Yangshan bonded zone, combines export and import distribution, regional and global consolidation and cross-border e-commerce fulfilment, and includes temperature-controlled storage. Maersk said the facility allows bonded and non-bonded goods to be handled in the same warehouse and speeds customs clearance under its AEO certification.

Silvia Ding, head of Maersk Greater China, said China had moved from export-led trade to more diversified flows and that more brands were seeking centralized inventory models. CEO Vincent Clerc said the investment would strengthen links between China and global markets, calling the country both the world's largest exporter and a major consumer market.

Local officials said the project uses Lingang's customs advantages and Maersk's fleet network to raise the area's distribution capacity. Yangshan, one of the world's busiest container ports, underpins Shanghai's role in global trade.

Several other maritime projects went live the same day, including a chemical-tanker training center, an international ship-registry service center for Yangshan Port, a Yangtze River logistics node, a COSCO Shipping crew-training facility, a remote-control center for Shanghai International Port Group and a green-fuel testing lab. Authorities said the projects address skills gaps and operational bottlenecks, particularly for methanol- and LNG-fuelled vessels, for which China still lacks domestic training capacity.

Shipping service provider SC Shipping uses simulators based on its incoming chemical-tanker fleet to practice cargo handling, tank cleaning and emergency procedures — operations that carry high accident risks and increasingly strict oversight. The company plans to open courses to other operators once equipment testing is complete.

Lingang's transport revenue rose more than 6% this year and foreign-trade value climbed 47% in the first ten months to 339.7 billion yuan (about US$48 billion), with the Yangshan bonded zone accounting for about 90%. Officials said Shanghai's shipping strategy is shifting from hardware to service capabilities, with room to grow in ship management, maritime services, seafarer training, shipping finance, insurance and arbitration, as well as in meeting international standards for green fuels.

They said Lingang will continue adding shipping-service projects and deepen regulatory pilots to build a larger cluster supporting Shanghai's push to upgrade its international shipping center.