A boat named the "Huaanji 8" from Wuhan Associated Marine Transport set sail from Wuhan Jingkai Port in Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone (WHDZ) on Dec 6, arriving at Yangluo Port in the city's Xinzhou district a few hours later, marking the official opening of a new shipping route between the two ports.
Tu Shanfeng, general manager of Wuhan Port and Shipping Development Group Co Ltd, made the official announcement detailing the new route.
Jingkai Port and Yangluo Port are located at the upper and lower reaches of the Wuhan section of the Yangtze River.
Wuhan Jingkai Port Co Ltd is a private dock company with three 5,000-ton Yangtze River deep-water berths, and is the only foreign trade container port in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in Wuhan.
Wuhan Port Container Co Ltd (the second phase of Yangluo Port) has four berths designed for 5,000-ton container ships. It is the main distribution center for foreign trade import and export goods in Hubei province, and its container handling capacity accounts for two thirds of Wuhan's total.
In July this year, the two companies signed cooperation agreements to develop port container business and strengthen business and personnel exchanges.
According to a director of Wuhan Jingkai Port, the opening of the route will greatly improve the container handling capacity of the port and reduce logistics costs for enterprises in WHDZ.
Dai Yitao, a director of WHDZ, said that the opening of the route will improve the opening up of companies in the zone, and will also help the construction of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
A crane is used to lift a container at Wuhan Jingkai Port in Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone, Hubei province, Dec 6. [Photo/wedz.gov.cn]
