Regulations of Shanghai Municipality on Promoting the Development of International Shipping Center

(Adopted at the 30th Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th Shanghai Municipal People's Congress on June 23, 2016; revised at the 18th Session of the Standing Committee of the 16th Shanghai Municipal People's Congress on December 31, 2024)

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1

With a view to accelerating the development of Shanghai International Shipping Center, enhancing the global allocation capacity of shipping resources, and supporting the development of China into a strong maritime and shipping country, these Regulations are formulated in accordance with relevant laws and administrative rules and in light of the actual circumstances of this Municipality.

Article 2

These Regulations shall apply to the work of this Municipality for promoting the development of Shanghai International Shipping Center.

Article 3

This Municipality shall implement national strategies by co-building a global shipping hub, improving the level of high-end shipping services, advancing the smart and green shipping cooperation and development, and creating a world-class environment for enabling a globally leading shipping center.

Article 4

The Municipal People's Government shall strengthen its leadership in promoting the development of Shanghai International Shipping Center, establish a coordination mechanism, and promote the development of Shanghai International Shipping Center in conjunction with the development of Shanghai International Economic, Trade, Finance, and Technology Innovation Centers.

The district people's governments of this Municipality shall carry out the relevant work of their respective administrative areas for advancing the development of Shanghai International Shipping Center in accordance with the municipal overall work plan.

Article 5

The municipal transport department shall be responsible for coordinating the promotion of Shanghai International Shipping Center, organizing the preparation of relevant plans, and implementing related tasks.

The municipal departments of development and reform, economy and informatization, commerce (ports), education, science and technology, public security, judicial administration, finance, planning and natural resources, ecology and environment, water (ocean), culture and tourism, emergency management, market regulation, data, financial regulation, meteorology and others shall strengthen collaboration, and implement relevant tasks in accordance with their respective responsibilities.

Article 6

This Municipality shall coordinate shipping industry development and shipping safety, strengthen shipping safety assurance measures, build risk prevention capacity, and create a safety regulatory system compatible with high-level openness, to promote the stable and secure growth of the shipping industry.

Article 7

This Municipality shall establish a development fund for the development of Shanghai International Shipping Center, included in the municipal fiscal budget, and leverage other related special funds, to provide financial support for the development of Shanghai International Shipping Center.

Article 8

The concerned district people's governments shall, based on their geographic advantages and industrial foundations, strengthen the development of shipping service clusters, and foster the aggregation and radiating effects of key resources.

The Pudong New Area, the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (including Lin-gang Special Area), the Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District, and the Shanghai Eastern Hub International Business Cooperation Zone shall lead pilot reforms in the shipping industry, implement higher-level institutional openness, and enhance the capabilities of Shanghai International Shipping Center.

Article 9

The concerned shipping industry associations shall strengthen industry self-discipline and integrity, maintain industry order, protect the legitimate rights and interests of both the industry and their members, enhance communication with domestic and foreign shipping organizations, and promote fair competition and orderly development in the shipping industry.

Article 10

This Municipality shall establish cooperation mechanisms with relevant provinces and cities in the Yangtze River Delta region to jointly build a world-class port cluster, promote coordinated civil aviation development, support the integration of the Yangtze River Delta, and promote the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt to contribute to the development of China into a strong maritime and shipping country.

Article 11

This Municipality shall strengthen all-encompassing and multilevel international shipping exchanges through various forms, including hosting exchange activities and establishing cooperation mechanisms, to enhance collaboration with relevant international organizations and other international shipping centers worldwide.

Article 12

This Municipality shall increase its efforts to foster shipping culture, delve into the shipping heritage and its modern presence, build shipping culture outreach centers, integrate the shipping industry with culture, leisure, and tourism industries, and strengthen domestic and international shipping culture exchanges and cooperation to enhance Shanghai’s international influence in shipping culture.

Article 13

The entities and individuals that have made outstanding contributions to the development of Shanghai International Shipping Center shall be commended and rewarded in accordance with the relevant provisions of the State and this Municipality.

Chapter II Planning and Development

Article 14

The Municipal People's Government, based on the overall goal of the development for Shanghai International Shipping Center, shall formulate a development plan geared to upgrade its connectivity functions, enhance its outreach and leadership capabilities, drive technological innovation, and improve resource allocation. The development plan is to be incorporated into this Municipality's economic and social development plan.

The development plan shall clearly specify the strategic framework, development goals, main tasks, specific measures, and responsible departments for promoting the development of Shanghai International Shipping Center.

Article 15

The municipal transport department, based on the development plan for Shanghai International Shipping Center and the requirements for a world-class shipping hub, shall organize the preparation of specialized plans for ports, waterways, roads, railways, and other transportation infrastructure. These specialized plans shall adhere to the principles of rational layout, functional completeness, resource efficiency, and environmental sustainability.

The specialized plans shall comply with the requirements of ecological zoning control and categorized shoreline protection and utilization, and be incorporated into corresponding territorial spatial planning in accordance with law.

Article 16

The municipal departments of planning and natural resources, water (ocean) and others, and district people's governments, shall coordinate to ensure the land for construction, water areas and other resources required for the development of Shanghai International Shipping Center when organizing the preparation of relevant territorial spatial planning.

The municipal transport department, in cooperation with the municipal development and reform department, shall properly coordinate port shoreline resources to improve their intensive and efficient utilization.

Article 17

This Municipality, based on the development plan for Shanghai International Shipping Center and the relevant specialized plans, shall build a world-class port and a comprehensive and integrated international air transport hub that are safe, convenient, intelligent, environmentally sustainable, cost-efficient and adequately supported.

The municipal transport department, in cooperation with the municipal departments of development and reform, planning and natural resources, water (ocean) and others, shall coordinate the construction of port and airport facilities, optimize facility layouts, and enhance the hub functions of ports and airports.

Article 18

The municipal transport department, in cooperation with relevant departments, shall promote the construction of waterways, roads, railways and other transportation networks centered on the sea and air hub port to establish an efficient, green, and seamless transportation system.

This Municipality shall advance multi-modal transport development for rail, road, water, and air transport, innovate transport organization modes, enhance alignment between relevant standards and rules, and step up the application of systems integration, data sharing, artificial intelligence and other modern technologies to improve comprehensive transport efficiency.

This Municipality shall support port, airport, and other enterprises in strengthening interactions and cooperation with relevant enterprises in other provinces and cities to improve inter-modal transport channels.

Chapter III Shipping Service System Construction

Article 19

This Municipality shall support shipping enterprises in creating global shipping routes to build globally competitive, intelligent, green, and professional fleets.

The municipal departments of transport, and commerce (ports) shall improve the convenience of coastal carriage for foreign trade container vessels that select Shanghai Port as a port of transshipment.

Article 20

This Municipality shall develop the cruise economy by constructing the cruise design, manufacturing, assembly, and logistics distribution bases to build a world-class cruise operation center.

This Municipality shall encourage the expansion of the cruise industry service chain, enhance shore-side distribution and terminal services, optimize public transport infrastructure, and establish a comprehensive cruise supply and tourism service system.

The domestic and foreign cruise companies are to be encouraged to establish regional headquarters and functional agencies in this Municipality, and to engage in international cruise line operations in accordance with law.

The municipal culture and tourism department shall cooperate with the municipal departments of transport, market regulation and others to formulate cruise tourism service standards that align with international practices.

Article 21

This Municipality shall leverage the institutional innovation advantages of the Lin-gang Special Area of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone to provide convenient services for international ship registration at China Yangshan Port.

Article 22

This Municipality shall support major airline carriers in building super carriers, and encourage various aviation transport enterprises to differentiate their air service products.

This Municipality shall enhance international air transshipment capabilities by optimizing the allocation of air rights, flight slots, and airspace resources to improve route accessibility, connectivity, and hub flight density.

Aviation transport enterprises are to be encouraged to optimize their capacity structure in line with the development characteristics of the e-commerce industry, strengthen the integration of logistics service networks with overseas warehouses, and enhance their capabilities to serve cross-border e-commerce.

Article 23

The municipal transport and other departments shall support port operators and other port service enterprises in enhancing service resilience, optimizing transport organization, and innovating service models to elevate comprehensive service capabilities.

This Municipality shall work with the airport authorities and relevant entities to advance cross-regional and multi-airport operation models, ensure the safe and efficient operation of airports, streamline arrival and departure procedures, and enhance both operational efficiency and service quality.

Article 24

This Municipality shall support specialized transaction institutions to engage, in accordance with relevant provisions of the State, in trade of ship, aircraft, and shipping-related businesses of freight rates, data, carbon emission rights, green fuels, etc. to improve resource allocation capabilities.

Article 25

Financial institutions are to be encouraged to provide financing, settlement, insurance, and other financial services to shipping-related enterprises, and to develop shipping-specific financial products to improve the professionalism and convenience of shipping financial services.

Financial institutions are to be encouraged to facilitate cross-border payments for shipping-related enterprises and provide multinational shipping companies with services for establishing global or regional fund management centers.

Article 26

This Municipality shall implement a shipping insurance product registration system to support insurance institutions in developing shipping insurance products, expanding their business scope and innovating service models.

This Municipality shall promote the development of specialized shipping insurance institutions, and, by leveraging the Shanghai International Reinsurance Center, foster collaboration between shipping insurance and reinsurance to enhance the underwriting capacity and global service level of shipping insurance.

Shipping enterprises are to be encouraged to enhance their risk management capabilities through commercial insurance, shipowners mutual assurance, self-insurance, and other methods.

Article 27

Arbitration institutions, notarization agencies, commercial mediation organizations, and law firms are to be encouraged to enhance their legal service capabilities to provide high-quality legal services for the development of Shanghai International Shipping Center.

This Municipality shall advance arbitration mechanism innovations to improve professional and international arbitration services in maritime safety and commerce, aviation, shipping, and cross-border logistics.

Article 28

Support is to be provided for the establishment of international shipping organizations headquartered in Shanghai, with participation from major global shipping enterprises and institutions.

The shipping-related enterprises, institutions, and international organizations that meet the requirements for the development of Shanghai International Shipping Center are to be encouraged to establish operations in this Municipality.

The shipping-related enterprises, institutions, and organizations of China are to be encouraged to participate in the formulation of international shipping rules.

Chapter IV Shipping Technology Innovation

Article 29

This Municipality shall support the foundational shipping research, and with a focus on driving the digital, intelligent, and green transformation, strengthen the key technological breakthroughs in areas of high-end equipment manufacturing, new energy, new materials and others to promote the application of technological innovations in shipping, and improve related technical standards.

Article 30

The municipal departments of economy and informatization, science and technology and others shall support the innovation and cluster development of the shipbuilding and marine engineering equipment research and design, final assembly and outfitting, repair and refitting to establish a world-leading modern shipbuilding base.

The municipal departments of economy and informatization, science and technology and others shall support the research and manufacturing of civil aviation aircraft, aviation engines, and onboard equipment, and the development of advanced aviation maintenance technologies, to foster the growth of world-class civil aviation industrial clusters. They shall also support the enhancement of airworthiness certification and aircraft operation assessment capabilities to strengthen airworthiness certification systems.

Article 31

The municipal departments of transport, economy and informatization, science and technology, data and others shall promote the digital development of shipping, advance the application of big data, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and other modern information technologies in the shipping industry, enhance information connectivity and business collaboration, and promote the secure sharing and integrated application of shipping trade data to improve the convenience of shipping trade.

Article 32

The municipal departments of transport, economy and informatization, science and technology, data and others shall promote the intelligent development of shipping, improve the information technology and intelligent level of shipping infrastructure, and advance intelligent services, smart operations, and the innovative application of intelligent equipment to build smart ports, smart waterways, and smart airports.

Article 33

The municipal departments of transport, development and reform, economy and informatization, science and technology and others shall promote the green development of shipping, encourage shipping equipment upgrading, advance the demonstration application of new energy and green fuels and the construction of supporting infrastructure in the shipping industry, and strengthen eco-environmental protection to make the shipping industry greener and more low-carbon.

The municipal departments of transport, development and reform, economy and informatization, science and technology and others shall promote the improvement of green fuel refueling facilities, develop green fuel refueling standards, optimize service processes and enhance safety control to establish a technologically advanced, stable, safe, and convenient green fuel supply system for shipping.

Article 34

This Municipality shall improve the carbon emissions monitoring and management system in the shipping industry, refine carbon accounting methods for industries such as aviation and water transport, establish systems for carbon emissions statistics, monitoring, and reporting, and optimize mechanisms and channels for shipping enterprises to participate in carbon emissions trading.

Chapter V Optimizing the Shipping Business Environment

Article 35

This Municipality shall implement a negative list management system for foreign investment access and market entry in the development of Shanghai International Shipping Center in accordance with law.

Relevant competent departments for industries shall implement the negative list management system for foreign investment access and market entry in accordance with their respective responsibilities and enhance policy transparency to create a market-oriented, law-based international business environment.

Article 36

The municipal departments of transport, commerce (ports) and others shall cooperate with the departments of customs, border inspection, maritime safety, civil aviation and others to optimize regulatory measures, enhance information exchange, and improve the facilitation of ship entry and exit, port replenishment, waste disposal, crew changes, flight schedules, crew immigration and emigration, and air cargo clearance.

This Municipality shall establish an integrated service window at ports of entry to provide multilingual, one-stop services such as currency exchange, mobile payments, network communications, and service consultation for arriving passengers.

Article 37

This Municipality shall improve the mechanism for training, attracting, employing, incentivizing, and evaluating shipping talents, implement action plans related to shipping talents, and strengthen the talent development in the shipping industry.

This Municipality shall support higher education institutions to strengthen shipping-related disciplines development, deepen the integration of enterprises, universities, and research institutes, and promote the cultivation of interdisciplinary talents in the shipping industry.

This Municipality shall support the development of think tanks in relevant fields of the international shipping center to enhance their decision-making advisory capabilities and international presence.

Article 38

The relevant departments of the municipal and district people's governments, in accordance with the relevant provisions on public credit information management, shall collect credit information related to shipping sector entities, implement graded and categorized credit supervision, and enforce incentives for trustworthiness and penalties for dishonesty in accordance with law.

Third-party credit service agencies are to be encouraged to provide credit evaluations, ratings, and management consulting services, and shall take necessary measures to protect the security of data and information when providing the relevant services.

Article 39

This Municipality shall establish risk prevention mechanisms in key areas and critical links in the development of the international shipping center, enforce the safety production responsibilities against shipping enterprises, and strengthen the identification, early warning, and handling of safety risks.

This Municipality shall improve the response to emergencies in the shipping industry, formulate emergency plans, and establish interdepartmental mechanisms for information sharing, coordinated supervision and emergency response collaboration to improve the capabilities for rapid response and emergency handling.

The municipal departments of transport, development and reform, economy and informatization, commerce, judicial administration, data, financial regulation, meteorology and others shall offer shipping enterprises guidance and services related to risk analysis and dispute resolution.

This Municipality shall advance the establishment of a regional integrated governance system for water transport safety supervision, emergency and rescue, and eco-environmental protection with other port cities along the Yangtze River.

Chapter VI Supplementary Provision

Article 40

These Regulations shall be effective as of February 1, 2025.