Brazil-Gaolan cargo arrives, setting B&R milestone

A same-ship cargo transport sailed 40 days to arrive at Zhuhai's Gaolan Port on Aug 10, signifying the official opening of the first-of-its-kind shipping route between Port of Vitoria in Espírito Santo, Brazil and the west bank of the Pearl River.

The general cargo ship M.V. Tian Qi, operated by COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers Co Ltd, had a stopover without transshipment in Singapore on Aug 1. The China Ocean Shipping (Group) Co transport carried 35,000 tons of granite and some shipping containers on this voyage. After Gaolan, it proceeded north to Xiamen.

A new channel in the China-Brazil Maritime Silk Road, the route marks a key step toward deepening bilateral cooperation in the logistics sector, said a government official.

Furthermore, such same-ship voyages will provide logistics services for an integration project of China-Brazil cross-border e-commerce and service trade. In 2015, the city of Zhuhai was chosen as the venue for such international cooperation. 

Inauguration ceremony of Port of Vitoria in Espírito Santo-Gaolan Port route

An analyst said it will promote Zhuhai as one of the most important sites for extending the success of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road to Latin America.

The breakthrough was credited by the local government to Zhuhai's endeavors to implement the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (Belt & Road) Initiative. These steps included upgrading port infrastructure and attracting trade partnerships.

After years of development, Zhuhai Port Holdings Group -- the largest port construction company on the west bank of the Pearl River Delta -- is now operating 20 express barges between major ports and cities along the Xijiang River system, the longest in South China. The basin includes the Bei, Dong, and Pearl (Zhu) rivers.

The firm has also developed five multimodal transport logistics channels leading to Yunnan Province and linking Guangdong's Qingyuan and Shaoguan, Hunan's Hengyang and Yongzhou, and other cities by rail. There are also 56 container liner routes covering major ports in Chinese coastal areas, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, the South Pacific, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.

Gaolan Port [Photos by Zhang Zhou / Zhuhai Daily]

A company executive said they will make the most of opportunities arising from the initiation of the route to expand the freight market for heavy-lifts and bulk cargos, taking advantage of the company's comprehensive logistics services.

Cargo and container throughput at ports controlled by Zhuhai Port Holdings Group reached 59.9 million tons and 1 million TEUs in the first half of this year, increasing by 48.8 percent and 42.3 percent year-on-year. The figures for the entire city show 66.9 million tons with a year-on-year growth rate of 17.7 percent for cargo throughput, and more than 1 million TEUs for container throughput, a rise of 39.3 percent.

The performance of Zhuhai ports sustains rapid growth momentum and supports the city's open economy, said an official.