In the first quarter, Tianjin Port handled 5.713 million twenty-foot equivalent units of containers, up 5.6 percent year-on-year and hitting a record high for the same period. Cargo throughput reached 119 million metric tons, up 1.4 percent year-on-year.

"For many years, Tianjin Port Group has made full use of its geographical advantages, vigorously developing China-Europe and China-Central Asia freight train services, and ensuring smooth trade channels between China and other Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states," said Kong Weidong, deputy general manager of Tianjin Port Group Logistics Co Ltd.

At present, Tianjin Port maintains shipping trade with more than 500 ports in over 180 countries and regions and has deepened railway cooperation with SCO countries including Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus. The launch of sea-rail intermodal trains has made Tianjin an important hub connecting SCO countries with global markets.

Supported by trunk railways such as the Beijing-Shanghai and Beijing-Harbin lines and a well-developed expressway network, goods from Central Asia and northern China can directly reach the port. From there, they are shipped worldwide through deep-water channels and extensive international routes. At the same time, imports can also be quickly transferred and distributed to the inland market.

According to the General Administration of Customs of China, in the first seven months of this year, China's trade with other SCO member states reached 2.11 trillion yuan ($295 billion), up 3 percent year-on-year and hitting a record high for the same period. In the first half of this year alone, Tianjin Customs supervised 365 China-Europe (Central Asia) freight trains carrying 39,000 TEU, both up 18.4 percent year-on-year.

In recent years, China has been working to optimize the business environment at its ports. The State Council has issued a series of documents, stressing the need to cut clearance times, reduce corporate costs and improve cross-border logistics efficiency. To further support Tianjin enterprises in trade with SCO member states, the city has been advancing institutional innovation and rolling out facilitation measures.