The first direct container route from Hainan Free Trade Port to the Middle East has been opened

At 13:17 on April 17, the "New Haikou" ship carrying polyester bottle sheets, coated paper, base paper and other products produced by Hainan local enterprises left Yangpu International Container Terminal and sailed to Khalifa Port in ABU Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, marking the official opening of the first direct container route from Hainan Free Trade Port to the Middle East.

Up to now, Yangpu has 47 domestic and foreign trade routes, including 23 domestic trade routes and 24 foreign trade routes, which basically cover the main coastal ports in China and Southeast Asia, and reach West Asia, the Indian Ocean, Oceania, West Africa and South America.

According to reports, the route to Guangzhou Nansha port as the port of departure, through the Yangpu International Container terminal transit, to ABU Dhabi Khalifa port. At the beginning of the operation, they put into operation a 4,250TEU container ship, one shift per month. In the future, they will form a biweekly flight, covering ports such as ABU Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Dammam in Saudi Arabia. While meeting the transportation needs of Hainan's local chemical products, paper products and other goods exported to the Middle East, the route will also rely on the Yangpu Port to Southeast Asia and domestic and foreign trade ship route network in the future, further guide the neighboring ports to the Middle East transit cargo sources, expand the port's maritime hinterland market, and consolidate and consolidate the important fulcrum role of Yangpu Port in promoting the construction of regional container hub port.

The opening of this route has achieved a new breakthrough in maritime trade transportation between Hainan and the Middle East, and is a practical measure for COSCO Shipping Group to implement the national strategy of the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port. Up to now, Yangpu International Container Terminal has opened a total of 16 foreign trade trunk lines, among which, from 2020 to 2023, they have opened a number of oceangoing intercontinental routes from Yangpu to Australia, West Africa, East South America and so on.

In recent years, the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the UAE has shown a momentum of comprehensive, rapid and in-depth development, and the economic and trade relations between Hainan and the UAE and other countries in the Middle East have become increasingly close. The opening of the first direct container route from Hainan Free Trade Port to the Middle East will further smooth the foreign trade channel in Hainan and reduce the transportation cost of enterprises.

Shao Jinning, director of the Bureau of Transportation and Port of Yangpu, said that they will continue to optimize the foreign trade routes of Yangpu Port in the next step. They plan to open routes to Japan and South Korea this year, extend the route to the East Asian market, and speed up the construction of a national logistics hub in the shape of Yangpo port to improve port operations, customs clearance efficiency and service levels.(Reporter Lin Shuxi)