The concept of smart ports represents a novel trend within the port industry, characterised by the integration of advanced technologies such as 5G, IoT and AI, which collectively facilitate the realisation of intelligent facilities and efficient operations. Shanghai Port plays a pivotal role in China’s global engagement and integration into the international economic system. It is also among the first ports in China to have introduced and constructed smart ports. This paper takes the aforementioned seaport as a case study and employs the SBM-DEA model, combined with the Malmquist index, to evaluate the logistics efficiency of Shanghai Port and other major Chinese ports over the past ten years, from 2014 to 2023. The evaluation is conducted from three dimensions and is followed by an analysis and recommendations.