For millennia, the Yangtze River Delta has been a source of human endeavour, culture, and commerce.

For millennia, the Yangtze River Delta has been a source of human endeavour, culture, and commerce.

[Picture – Black pottery of the Hemudu culture]

Just 20 kilometres from our Ningbo office, the Hemudu culture (c. 5000–3300 BCE) left behind evidence of one of the world’s earliest rice-cultivating societies.

Further west, near Hangzhou, the Liangzhu culture (c. 3300–2300 BCE) produced some of prehistoric China’s most extraordinary jade artefacts.

The Yangtze River Delta is a story of intensive human civilisation spanning more than 7,000 years, from early cultures like the Hemudu to the semiconductor factories of today.

That story continues to evolve. The Territorial Spatial Plan for the Yangtze River Delta (2023–2035) was approved by China’s State Council, giving it the force of binding national policy.

Jointly implemented by the governments of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui, the plan formalises something that already exists: a single, deeply integrated economic zone that functions as one of the most productive regions on the planet.

The scale of this part of China is reflected in some remarkable stats for Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui (taken in full and not just the area covered by the Yangtze Delta Plan).

✔️Combined population of 238 million people. Were it a country, it would rank as the fifth most populous on Earth.

✔️Combined GDP stands at USD $4.5 trillion, equivalent to the world’s fourth largest economy.

✔️Over 7% of all global manufacturing output.

✔️2 out of 3 of the world’s top container ports. Shanghai (#1) and Ningbo (#3) shipping more than 85 million TEUs per year.

Being located within this dynamic region is central to how we deliver value.

◈ China’s high-speed rail and expressway networks allow our team to reach the vast majority of factories within a few hours.

◈ The delta is home to world-class innovation centres and a deepening culture of manufacturing automation.

◈ Decades of industrial development have produced tightly integrated supply chain ecosystems.

◈ Port facilities, customs processes, documentation standards, and freight forwarding networks here are among the most developed and reliable in the world.

◈ The delta’s network of free trade zones enables flexible consolidation of shipments, creating meaningful opportunities to reduce costs and achieve efficiencies.

◈ Our pre-shipment inspector network spans all major manufacturing zones across the region, ensuring quality control is accessible wherever production takes place.

◈ The delta’s manufacturing workforce is not only large; it is trained, experienced, and increasingly oriented toward high-value, precision production.

For businesses sourcing, manufacturing, or moving goods through China, there is no better place to have a trusted partner on the ground.