Shanghai's Qingpu district has launched an AI-powered container digital twin system that connects directly to customs systems, improving inspection efficiency by 50 percent, cutting container unpacking time, and reducing the need for blind unpacking.

The innovation pushes digital verification upstream to the cargo consolidation stage, before goods reach the port. The initiative comes as Qingpu positions cross-border e-commerce as a priority driver of industrial development.

At the heart of the system is a multidimensional AI-powered digital twin for smart container loading. As workers pack containers, the system generates real-time cargo mapping, achieving 90 percent positioning accuracy across major container types. This data stream integrates with customs departments.

"Traditional container loading operations suffer from visual blind spots, and cargo stacking relies heavily on manual experience," Zhai Weiyu, deputy director of Qingpu Customs, said.

"Conventional loading diagrams are disconnected from actual conditions, making precise cargo tracking difficult for inspectors."

Designed to integrate with existing workflows, the system automatically verifies cargo identification and documentation before loading. During packing, multi-angle camera arrays monitor the entire process and use algorithmic models to calculate 3D coordinates even when goods are obscured. Once packing is complete, the system generates high-precision 3D loading maps.

"The system transforms closed container spaces into reviewable, preservable, and traceable 3D digital models," Zhai added. "This ensures consistency between declaration documents and physical goods, establishing a solid security baseline for customs supervision."

"After goods complete screening at the consolidation warehouse and generate digital stacking diagrams, they proceed directly to the port," Guan Zhongfu, general manager of Shanghai Hongyue Supply Chain Management Co Ltd, said.

"This significantly reduces blind container unpacking, shortens clearance times, and substantially cuts logistics costs for businesses."

Qingpu's cross-border e-commerce trade reached 11.82 billion yuan ($1.77 billion) in 2025, up 108.1 percent year-on-year.

Source: China Daily