The 2026 Digital Intelligence Conference on Shipping and Trade Was Held in Shanghai, Bringing Together Industry Leaders to Explore Paths for Digital Transformation in the Shipping and Trade Sectors.

On March 18, 2026, the 2026 Shipping Trade Digital Intelligence Conference was held at the Shanghai International Convention Center. With the theme of "Smart Navigation Trade, Creating the Future with Numbers", the conference was co-sponsored by "China Ocean Shipping" magazine, Baltic International Shipping Association (BIMCO) and China Shipowners Association. It adopted the form of online and offline integration and attracted international organizations and More than 500 representatives from the industrial chain participated. Participants conducted in-depth discussions on the core path and challenges of digital transformation of shipping trade. Zhu Bixin, general manager of China Ocean Shipping Group, stressed that this is a systematic project that requires global collaboration, and proposed four major directions: building a standard system, promoting collaborative innovation, building a secure base and promoting integration and empowerment. Xu Zuyuan, former vice minister of the Ministry of Transport, proposed to build an open, green and win-win digital ecology, focusing on open interconnection, green integration, integration innovation and security bottom line. BIMCO Chairman Paul Pathy called for deeper industry collaboration to improve overall efficiency. The results of the conference were significant, including the signing of BIMCO and the China Maritime Law Association to promote the localization of standard contracts, and the joint launch of the electronic bill of lading initiative for commodity trade by COSCO Shipping and BIMCO. In the theme dialogue session, the guests also conducted in-depth discussions on key issues such as AI applications, data governance, network security, talent training, and green and digital integration, providing multiple ideas and solutions for industry transformation.