On June 12, the Shanghai Port Group Yangtze River Delta Jinghuai Regional Empty Container Distribution Center was officially opened in Huai'an Port, marking the formal implementation of the regional "empty container reservoir" jointly built by Shanghai and Huai'an ports. It will better provide sufficient empty container resources, reliable container use guarantee, and convenient nearby pickup/return services for local enterprises in Huai'an and the canal and Huaihe River basins. It will further reduce the cost of containers for enterprises.

In recent years, Huai'an has seized the major opportunity of "supporting Huai'an to utilize comprehensive transportation advantages to promote the high-quality development of the hub economy" provided by the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, facilitated the integrated operations of ports throughout the city at a high level, and actively deepened strategic cooperation with Shanghai Port. In February this year, the city officially launched integrated port operations. To maximize resource utilization, operating benefits, convenient services, and industry empowerment, it is building a "1+1+6" integrated port operation pattern, with Huai'an Port as the core. The Jinghuai Regional Empty Container Distribution Center will strongly support Huai'an Port in deeply empowering industry development. It will also promote the deepening and solidification of integrated operations of ports across the city, further amplify the hub advantages of Huai'an Port, and expand and improve regional service capacity.

The establishment of the Jinghuai Regional Empty Container Distribution Center is another milestone in the deepened strategic cooperation between Shanghai Port Group and the Huai'an Municipal People's Government for the integration of Shanghai and Huai'an and for promoting river-sea linkage. It is also an important measure for the city of Huai'an to deeply implement the integrated development strategy of the Yangtze River Delta and give full play to the function of Huai'an Port as the inland waterway strategic pivot of Shanghai Port, marking that the empty container allocation in the canal and Huaihe River basins has officially entered the stage of local guarantee and efficient circulation.