SIP Port, which started trial run in May 2017, came into formal operation on Dec 11. A barge carrying 64 ISO containers set off from the port on the same day for a 14-hour sail to the Port of Shanghai for transshipment to overseas destinations, marking the beginning of a water transport network between SIP and Shanghai.

The about 19-hectare port, costing nearly RMB 550 million, boasts eight 1,000-ton terminals offering integrated logistics services, with designed annual throughput of 2.2 million tons of cargos and 250,000 TEUs. It is hailed as the largest inland port in Jiangsu province.

The port runs both domestic and foreign trade routes connecting with the Port of Shanghai, currently three sailings per week and more possibly in the future.

At the opening ceremony, Shanghai International Port (Group) Co Ltd which operates all the public container and bulk terminals at the Port of Shanghai signed a MOU with the authority of SIP High-end Manufacturing and International Trade Zone to enhance cooperation in logistics. Based on the MOU, barges serving between SIP Port and the Port of Shanghai can enjoy a package of privileges including priority for berthing at the Port of Shanghai.

"The ship routes help avoid congestions that frequently happen in road transportation and reduce logistics cost by about RMB 200 per TEU," said Liu Zhigang, deputy general manager of Samsung Electronics (Suzhou) Co Ltd, one of the first companies to enjoy the services at the port.