Missão Porto & Mar visits logistics giants driving e-commerce in China

The rapid movement of goods is possible thanks to a structured supply chain designed to streamline transportation (Alexandre Lopes/AT)

The Missão Internacional Porto & Mar 2026 continued on Friday (29) with an agenda focused on express logistics, cargo distribution, and large-scale operations in China. Following visits to ports, technology companies, smart factories, and innovation centers, the Brazilian delegation gained firsthand insight into the infrastructure supporting one of the busiest delivery networks in the world.

The visits took place at ZTO Express and J&T Express, two companies that help sustain the growth of Chinese e-commerce and the daily circulation of millions of parcels both within and beyond the country.

At ZTO, the delegation learned about the company’s history and observed part of its cargo distribution process, including machinery used for parcel sorting, handling, and organization. The company is one of China’s largest express delivery operators, serving millions of consumers and merchants connected to digital platforms.

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Shanghai, ZTO grew alongside the expansion of Chinese e-commerce. The company established itself as one of the main logistics partners of platforms such as Alibaba and JD.com, providing collection, transportation, sorting, and parcel delivery services.

The operation visited by the delegation demonstrated how Chinese logistics combines scale, technology, and standardization to handle the enormous volume of online purchases made daily throughout the country. Automated conveyor systems, scanning technologies, route planning systems, and sorting equipment are part of the infrastructure required to reduce lead times, manage flows, and improve distribution efficiency.

If the Port of Shanghai demonstrated how China moves goods on a global scale, companies such as ZTO help reveal what happens after products enter the domestic consumption chain. It is at this stage that ports, e-commerce platforms, distribution centers, and last-mile delivery operations function as parts of a single logistics system.

The technical agenda allowed Brazilian participants to learn about the infrastructure of companies regarded as industry benchmarks (Disclosure)

International logistics

The delegation then visited J&T Express, where it was welcomed by company representatives for an institutional presentation, an operational tour, and a networking session. The agenda enabled participants to gain deeper insight into the company’s expansion model and its role in express and international logistics.

Founded in 2015, J&T Express quickly transformed into a global logistics company, with operations in several countries across Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The company focuses on express delivery services and logistics solutions for e-commerce, one of the fastest-growing sectors worldwide.

J&T’s presence in Brazil also attracted the attention of mission participants, as the company operates in the national market and is part of the international expansion movement of Asian logistics groups into Latin America. This development reinforces Brazil’s strategic importance within emerging digital trade and global distribution routes.

J&T Express was founded in 2015 and quickly became a global company (Alexandre Lopes/AT)

Rapid circulation

Throughout both visits, the Brazilian delegation observed how China has built a logistics network capable of integrating digital platforms, distribution centers, transportation, technology, and last-mile delivery on a massive scale. The visits helped complete an essential part of the mission’s objective: understanding that Chinese efficiency lies not only in ports and factories, but also in the ability to move products rapidly to consumers.

The agenda also reinforced the focus of Missão Porto & Mar 2026 on business generation and strengthening ties between Brazilian entrepreneurs and Chinese companies. In addition to technical presentations, the meetings created opportunities for information exchange, institutional networking, and the observation of models that may inspire improvements in logistics chains in Brazil.

ZTO Express, in Shanghai, partners with giants such as Alibaba and JD.com, operating in parcel delivery services (Alexandre Lopes/AT)

The visits on Friday (29) marked the conclusion of the mission’s program in Shanghai. After several intensive days dedicated to technology, artificial intelligence, port infrastructure, industry, automation, and logistics, the Brazilian delegation concluded its stay in China’s largest metropolis with an even broader understanding of the factors driving the country’s development.

On Saturday (30), the delegation travel to Hong Kong, the final stage of the Missão Internacional Porto & Mar 2026. Expectations are that the city, one of Asia’s most important financial and logistics hubs, will provide new meetings, experiences, and business opportunities before the conclusion of the trip organized by Grupo Tribuna .

Cláudio Bastos, Adilson Júnior and Keyla Araújo Boaventura (Reproduction)

“The highlight of Friday’s visits was automation. In the port context, this can be applied to logistics operations, truck reception processes, the work carried out in truck staging yards, and safety management within these facilities. It also applies to truck dispatching, terminal scheduling, and cargo unloading from trucks to vessels”, said Cláudio Bastos, Superintendent of Governance, Risk and Compliance at Autoridade Portuária de Santos.

“Those who develop technologies for the world are highly prepared in China, starting from the foundation. We visited a company where most people do not simply hold postgraduate degrees or other advanced qualifications; they are PhDs. There is significant investment in information, technology, planning, and organization”, said Adilson Júnior, President of Câmara de Santos.

“The visit to Huawei was extremely impressive. We saw automation solutions and learned that the company invests around 20% of its revenue in research and development. Half of Huawei’s employees work within the research center we visited. The secret is long-term planning combined with innovation”, said Keyla Araújo Boaventura, Secretary of Infrastructure at Tribunal de Contas da União.