On 30 July, Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration, together with Ningbo Financial Regulatory Bureau, held a promotion meeting on maritime financial services, marking the official launch of the Maritime Finance Resource Allocation Centre. A number of letter-of-intent credit cooperation agreements were reached between relevant financial institutions and enterprises on site.
The Maritime Finance Resource Allocation Centre entered pilot operation on 16 June. To date, 41 financial and insurance institutions have rolled out more than 230 shipping finance and insurance products. Via the online system, three shipping companies and one shipyard have connected with four banks and secured credit facilities worth 436 million yuan. Separately, three shipping firms and one shipyard are in talks with banks and financial leasing companies for financing totalling 760 million yuan.
Maritime finance constitutes a key pillar of high-end shipping service industry. Starting from 2025, Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration has carried out digital reform of maritime finance in collaboration with multiple authorities. As a major outcome of the reform, the country’s pioneering maritime finance service system consisting of the Maritime Finance Service Platform and the Maritime Finance Resource Allocation Centre (dubbed the “One Platform, One Centre”) has been fully established and put into operation. By developing a dedicated vessel credit evaluation system, breaking down data barriers between government and enterprises, and enabling targeted matching of supply and demand resources, the system effectively addresses financing difficulties facing the shipping sector.
Leveraging cutting-edge technologies including big data and artificial intelligence, the “One Platform, One Centre” converts maritime supervision data into “maritime credit” data. It advances full-life-cycle data protection, trusted data governance and data security protection in an integrated manner. Incorporating evaluation criteria covering safety, operation and environmental performance, the system conducts objective real-time credit assessment and dynamic early warning. It supports full-chain risk management for financial institutions and facilitates access to financial resources for high-quality shipping enterprises.
Since the trial run of the Maritime Finance Service Platform commenced in June 2025, banks in Zhejiang Province have granted credit totalling 22.618 billion yuan. More than ten shipping enterprises with sound credit standing have enjoyed preferential financing interest rates or insurance premiums. Shipping enterprises obtaining credit through the platform save nearly 2 million yuan in interest expenses on an annual basis.
Reprinted from China Transport News Network