The first direct container shipping route from Wuhan to Taicang Port is launched on March 31. [Photo/WeChat account: whkfq]
A container ship from Jingkai Port in Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone (WEDZ) set sail on March 31, marking the inauguration of the first direct container shipping route from Wuhan to Jiangsu province's Taicang Port, the largest foreign trade port on the Yangtze River.
This direct shipping line is expected to create a comprehensive logistics system characterized by "manufactured in Wuhan, transshipped in Taicang, delivered globally" and significantly bolster Wuhan's transformation into a global automotive hub.
Jingkai Port, a crucial part of Wuhan Port's Hannan Port Area, features three berths, a 330-meter high-quality coastline, and a handling capacity of 2 million metric tons of bulk cargo and 300,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). It is Wuhan's only foreign trade container port area in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and is equipped with comprehensive customs supervision services.
The route will operate regularly, with three sailings every two weeks. The inaugural shipment includes automotive parts from the zone, achieving an 80 percent load rate, further enhancing Wuhan's international connectivity.
The new route reduces transit time to three days and cuts transportation costs by at least 500 yuan ($68) per container.
In January, the Ministry of Transport approved the temporary opening of the Shamao and Dengnan operational areas in the Hannan Port Area. In March, Chegu, a car carrier, made its maiden voyage from Hannan Port.
The first half of this year will also see the opening of a direct international route from WEDZ to Nagoya, Japan.
