The first direct shipping route linking the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in north China to the east coast of South America was officially opened on Monday.
The first ship, carrying goods including construction machinery and electrical appliances, left Tianjin Port for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as its first stop in South America, and will also berth at Santos, Itapua, Navigantes and other ports.
The new route, with 12 14,000-TEU vessels operating weekly, is poised to significantly strengthen trade relations between north China and South America. It will provide a more convenient maritime channel for the import of South American products such as soybeans, iron ore, coffee beans, cocoa, sugar, and beef, and the export of Chinese daily necessities, chemicals, automobiles and parts, steel, furniture and other categories.
According to the operator COSCO Group, the direct route has shortened the delivery time from Tianjin to Brazil to 40 days from the original 54 days which needed transit, and has increased the deepfreeze loading capacity by 81 percent.
China has been Brazil's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, and Brazil is China's largest trading partner and direct investment destination in Latin America.
According to Tianjin Customs statistics, in the first quarter of 2024, the import and export between Tianjin Port and Brazil totaled 28.82 billion yuan (about 4 billion U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 36.6 percent. Among them, the export was 6.22 billion yuan, an increase of 5.9 percent and the import reached 22.6 billion yuan, up 48.4 percent year on year.
1st direct shipping route from north China to South America opens
