Chinese automated container terminal sets new world record

The automated container terminal of the Qingdao Port in east China's Shandong Province on Thursday set a new world record in performance when the average single-machine operational efficiency of its bridge cranes reached 62.62 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per hour.

This achievement marks the 13th time that Qingdao Port's automated container terminal has broken the world record for loading and unloading efficiency, underscoring China's prowess in the field of automated terminal construction.

Since the beginning of the year, the port has been making continuous efforts in improving software systems, equipment, and process optimization. The smooth loading and unloading operations were achieved by its self-developed intelligent control systems.

"Since the beginning of this year, we have also integrated advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and large models to select the optimal stacking position from over 150,000 container locations within milliseconds. Additionally, by integrating visual perception and automatic guidance technologies, we have reduced the interval between moving automatic guided vehicles by 2.6 percent and increased their running speed by 3.6 percent," said Chen Qiang, manager of the software development department at the automated terminal of Qingdao Port.

The intelligent control system can also achieve millisecond-level spot selecting and dynamic data refreshing, as well as rapid equipment deployment, which greatly enhanced the level of speed, accuracy and intelligence in terminal operations.

"In April this year, the port completed another iteration and upgrade of its automated loading and unloading system. This also reduced the height of the spreader by 16.6 meters, directly saving nearly 20 seconds in the operation time for loading and unloading a single container," said Wang Peishan, an employee at the terminal.

At present, many technological achievements made by the automated container terminal of Qingdao Port have been successfully introduced to multiple ports both at home and abroad, providing a "Chinese solution" for the intelligent upgrading of traditional terminals.

Chinese automated container terminal sets new world record

Japan's economy shrank an annualized real 2.3 percent in the third quarter of 2025, revised government data showed on Monday, compared with an initially reported 1.8 percent drop.

The revised figure for gross domestic product (GDP) from the Cabinet Office marked the fastest contraction since the third quarter of 2023.

In the three months through September, real GDP, adjusted for inflation, contracted 0.6 percent on a quarter-on-quarter basis, compared with the preliminary reading of a 0.4 percent decline, data showed.

Private consumption, which accounts for more than half of the economy, inched up a revised 0.2 percent in July-September, compared with the initial estimate of 0.1 percent.

Among other key components, the capital expenditure, a barometer of private demand, fell 0.2 percent, lowered from the initial estimate of a 1.0 percent gain.

External demand, or exports minus imports, subtracted 0.2 percentage points from the GDP, unchanged from the preliminary reading.

Japan revises Q3 GDP contraction to 2.3 pct