During the 2026 New Year's Day holiday, the Yuanxing Rizhao vessel began its maiden voyage to West Africa from Shandong Port Group's (SPG) Rizhao Port, adding much more capacity to the Rizhao-West Africa shipping route.

The vessel carried 28,000 metric tons of cargo, including dump trucks, tipper trucks, and specialized support vehicles, destined for major infrastructure projects in Nigeria.

In line with the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Rizhao Port is actively pursuing growth opportunities across Africa. By leveraging its expertise in breakbulk cargo operations, the port manages China-aided projects and collaborates with leading domestic automakers to support the export of Chinese engineering and commercial vehicles.

To ensure logistical excellence, Rizhao Port carefully oversees cargo stowage and loading plans. By using specialized lifting gear and optimizing workforce coordination, the port ensures that every vessel is fully utilized and dispatched with maximum efficiency.

"Over the past year, we have steadily expanded our service capacity for various types of breakbulk cargo, establishing a strong international logistics channel for China-Africa trade," stated the port's operations manager.

To date, Rizhao Port has established shipping routes to West Africa, East Africa, the Mediterranean, and Southeast Asia. Its commitment to cost-effective, high-capacity service continues to extend the global reach of "Made in China" products.

The Xingyuan Rizhao ship undergoes intensive loading operations in preparation for its maiden voyage to West Africa. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]