Pursuant to the Decision of the Supreme People's Court on the Establishment of Maritime Courts in Haikou and Xiamen, Xiamen Maritime Court has jurisdiction over the maritime cases of first instance occurring within its jurisdictional areas which range from extended sea areas at the junction of Fujian Province and Guangdong Province in the south, to extended sea areas at the junction of Fujian Province and Zhejiang Province in the north, including the southern part of the East China Sea, Taiwan Province, islands within its jurisdictional areas and ports in Fujian Province.

As a specialized court, Xiamen Maritime Court accepts cases falling within the scope explicitly defined by the Provisions of the Supreme People's Court on the Scope of Cases to be Accepted by Maritime Courts.

The High People's Court of Fujian Province hears the cases on appeal from Xiamen Maritime Court.