ISO Ports and Terminals Subcommittee Holds First Plenary Meeting at ZPMC Headquarters

SHANGHAI, Oct. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 21, 2025, the inaugural plenary meeting of the International Organization for Standardization's Technical Committee on Ships and Marine Technology – Subcommittee on Ports and Terminals (ISO/TC 8/SC 27) opened at the headquarters of Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC).

The meeting gathered more than 150 participants, including delegates from 15 member countries—among them China, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the United States—along with representatives from five international port and terminal organizations, and invited experts, academics, and industry leaders from around the world. 

The three-day event featured working sessions from October 22 to 23, during which participants heard reports from the Subcommittee Chair and the Secretariat, reviewed the Subcommittee's scope of work and strategic plan, and discussed six proposed international standard projects, including terminology for ports and terminals. The agenda also included visits to ZPMC's Changxing Shipyard and the Phase IV Automated Container Terminal at Shanghai's Yangshan Deep-Water Port for technical exchanges. 

Proposed by China and officially established in early 2025, ISO/TC 8/SC 27 is the first ISO technical subcommittee dedicated to standardization in ports and terminals. It currently has 24 participating and 24 observing member countries. 

As the organization leading ISO/TC 8/SC 27, ZPMC has in recent years helped shape global port and shipping standards by sharing Chinese technological approaches and played an active role in achieving wider international recognition for Chinese standards. To date, it has led or participated in the development of eight international standards in the crane sector, supporting improvements in global port efficiency, technological advancement, and sustainable development.