China Business News Network  On May 29, the 2024 International Logistics Standardization Conference and ISO/TC 344 Inaugural Conference with the theme of "Innovative Logistics Standards and Connecting Global Trade" was held in Qingdao Free Trade Zone. The International Organization for Standardization's Innovative Logistics Technical Committee (ISO/TC 344) was established. This is the first international standardization technical committee in the field of logistics undertaken by China. At the same time, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, Qingdao Municipal Market Supervision Administration, and the Qingdao Area Management Committee of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone signed a tripartite agreement to carry out joint construction based on the tripartite standardization resources and jointly promote the standardization and internationalization of Qingdao logistics.

The convening of the 2024 International Logistics Standardization Conference and the ISO/TC 344 Inaugural Conference is a concrete measure for Qingdao Free Trade Zone to unswervingly deepen reform and expand opening up. Logistics is the "muscles and veins" of the real economy, connecting production and consumption on one end and domestic and foreign trade on the other. He Liming, President of the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, introduced in his speech that my country is one of the largest logistics markets in the world, and standard guidance is an important symbol of high-quality development of modern logistics and participation in global logistics market competition. The Innovation Logistics Technical Committee (ISO/TC 344) initiated by my country and approved by ISO came into being. This is the first international standardization technical committee in the field of logistics undertaken by my country.

According to reports, ISO/TC 344 is mainly responsible for the standardization of services, technical applications and management in the logistics field. It will create new development opportunities and international voice for my country to actively participate in the formulation of global logistics standards, promote the integration of my country's logistics industry with the international standards, and improve my country's logistics technology and service levels. It will further promote the innovative development of my country's logistics industry, assist global economic and trade exchanges, and accelerate the construction of a new development pattern of domestic and international dual circulation.

Taking advantage of the establishment of ISO/TC 344, in order to promote the high-quality development of Qingdao's logistics industry, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, Qingdao Municipal Market Supervision Administration, and Qingdao Area Management Committee of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone carried out joint construction and signed a tripartite agreement. Relying on the standardization resources of the three parties, they will carry out comprehensive cooperation in leading the international development of key industry standards, deepening international exchanges and cooperation on standardization, and promoting overseas demonstration applications of standards.

It is reported that the first project of the tripartite strategic cooperation has been implemented. The group standard "International Transit Consolidation Service Requirements" drafted by Qingdao Wanjia Consolidation Logistics Co., Ltd., an enterprise in Qingdao Free Trade Zone, was released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing on May 14, 2024, and will be officially implemented on June 1, 2024.

The tripartite joint construction will actively explore innovative models for the coordinated development of my country's group standards and international standards, and contribute China's best practices to international logistics standardization.

In recent years, Qingdao Free Trade Zone has been committed to the standardization strategy, not only widely implementing standardization in various fields of the economy and society, but also promoting its deep integration and innovative development with various industries, forming a unique development path of "standard specification + standard innovation + standard improvement". According to incomplete statistics, Qingdao Free Trade Zone has formulated and revised 7 international standards and 103 national and industry standards, and has established a system for formulating and revising international standards in key areas such as genetic technology, advanced manufacturing, and port construction, effectively enhancing the influence and voice of enterprises in the zone on the international stage.

The Qingdao Free Trade Zone has fully leveraged its port location advantage to accelerate the agglomeration of port logistics industries. After years of cultivation and development, there are now 17,000 international trade and more than 3,500 shipping and logistics operators. The industrial agglomeration effect is becoming increasingly prominent, and a modern logistics industry ecosystem has been initially formed with "ports" as the support, "bulk commodity warehousing, comprehensive bonded logistics, cross-border e-commerce logistics, cold chain vertical fields, and container terminals" as the core, and "ship supply, crew services, ship management, maritime inspection, ship trading, shipping finance" and other fulcrums. This has injected new vitality into the development of the logistics industry in Qingdao and even the entire China.

Ji Xiaolong, deputy director of the Qingdao Free Trade Zone Management Committee, said: "The Qingdao Free Trade Zone will continue to gather global wisdom and strength, accelerate the creation of a higher-level international standardization exchange and cooperation platform and window, actively build a standardization mechanism that meets high-level opening up, accelerate the transformation of product advantages into standard advantages, and strive to create a world-class industrial cluster, build a highland for modern marine economic development, and interpret the height, depth and breadth of 'Chinese standards' to the world."