Liaoning Port Co., Ltd. (02880) has announced its application to the Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) for the designation of both bonded and duty-paid iron ore delivery warehouses.
In February 2016, Dalian Port Bulk Cargo Logistics Center Co., Ltd., a joint venture in which the company holds a 40% stake, was designated by the DCE as an iron ore bonded delivery warehouse. However, due to the entity's registered capital of only 10 million yuan—falling short of the DCE's mandatory threshold requiring delivery warehouses to have net assets of no less than 1 billion yuan—the exchange suspended its delivery operations on January 16, 2026. As a result, the company's port area currently lacks a compliant iron ore futures delivery vehicle.
The applicant this time is Liaoning Port Co., Ltd., whose net assets, registered capital, and compliance record all meet the DCE's full set of hard financial and entity requirements for establishing a delivery warehouse. Daily warehouse operations will be managed by the company's wholly-owned branch, the Dalian Port Bulk Cargo Terminal Branch. This terminal is equipped with specialized deep-water iron ore berths, contiguous dedicated ore storage yards, standardized weighing and quality inspection equipment, a complete rail and road transport collection and distribution system, as well as an independent customs-supervised bonded storage zone. With years of hands-on experience in iron ore stockpiling and bonded ore blending, its hardware, personnel, and management systems are fully compatible with DCE delivery operating standards.
The company plans to simultaneously apply to the DCE for both duty-paid and bonded iron ore delivery warehouse qualifications, establishing a dual-track operating model that supports "duty-paid domestic delivery" alongside "bonded cross-border delivery." Project revenue is expected to come from three main sources: first, DCE-standardized iron ore storage fees; second, specialized delivery operation service fees for futures inbound, outbound, and re-stacking activities; and third, incremental spot business gains in ore handling and storage generated by the delivery qualification's ability to attract additional cargo volumes.