China’s foreign trade container throughput at ports has recorded double-digit growth since the start of the year where Qingdao Port had launched 7 new container shipping routes in Q1 with expansion intensity far exceeding the same period last year to provide stable and efficient support for foreign trade.
The newly-inaugural vessel for a new North Africa route—the Guoyunhai—recently departed Qianwan Container Terminal of Shandong Port Qingdao (QQCT) carrying domestically produced engineering machinery, auto parts and electronic goods. The ship is bound for Port Said in Egypt and the key Libyan ports of Benghazi and Misrata. Unlike traditional routes that serve a single country or port, the new service connects 3 major ports across Egypt and Libya to effectively cut transit time by nearly 10 days and lower overall logistics costs for foreign trade enterprises.
The North Africa service is Qingdao Port’s 7th new international container route launched in Q1. With this addition, newly opened routes now cover key regions including Southeast Asia, Australia, Africa, and Central and South America.
The North Africa route directly supports China’s industrial cooperation and infrastructure projects with countries such as Egypt and Libya;
While the Australia–New Zealand service establishes direct links between major domestic ports and Australian hub ports to create fast, consolidated 2-way logistics channels tailored for inland enterprises.
In the mean time, routes to Central and South America enable stable weekly operations to help companies deepen their presence in Latin American markets;
Whereas services in Southeast Asia unlock the benefits of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to promote the smooth integration of regional industrial and supply chains and maximize the efficiency of the new routes.
Planning Director Ban Zhengqi of the QQCT: The rapid rollout of new routes will ease booking pressure for import and export firms, reduce logistics costs and strengthen the resilience of cross-border supply chains. It will also improve Qingdao Port’s global route network, providing stronger channels to ensure the stable and efficient flow of industrial and supply chains.
