Port of Shanghai is situated at the middle of the 18,000 km-long Chinese coastline, where the Yangtze River, known as "the Golden Waterway", flows into the sea. It is the leading port in the T-shaped waterway network composed by the Yangtze River and the coastline, and is also China's largest comprehensive port and one of the country's most important gateways for foreign trade.It is faced towards the northern and southern coastal seas of China and the oceans of the world, and is linked with the Yangtze River and the inland waterways of Yangtze River Valley region such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces etc. Expressway and state-level highways lead the Port to the national highway network to all regions of the country.Therefore, the Port enjoys an advantageous geographical location, favorable natural conditions, vast economically developed hinterlands, and complete inland distribution infrastructure and facilities.
The annual import and export trade through Shanghai, in terms of value, accounts for a quarter of China's total foreign trade. The Port's cargo throughput in 2013 reached 776 million tons, and container throughput in 2013 reached 33.61 million TEUs, ranking it the largest container port in the world.