Two major Yangtze ports in Anhui province, Maanshan and Chizhou, are to be opened to foreign vessels, according to Hefei Customs. The General Customs Administration, together with the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Public Security and the General Administration of Inspection and Quarantine, have decided that the ports are ready for opening up. They will join the other three major Yangtze ports in Anhui — Wuhu, Anqing and Tongling — that are already open ports.

Maanshan is situated on the eastern edge of Anhui, on the southern bank of the Yangtze and is famous for its iron and steel giant Ma Gang. Located in the southwest of Anhui, Chizhou is a transhipment hub for dolomite and other ores.