The first container ship of the "China-Europe Express," the fastest direct route connecting Europe and China's Yangtze River Delta region, arrived at its destination at the Jade Weser Port in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, on Friday.
The "KAWA Ningbo" cargo ship, carrying over 1,700 containers of new-energy and other high-value goods, completed its non-stop voyage in 26 days, well below the shipment time of 45 days in the past.
On the same day, more than 260 people, including the Chinese Consul General in Hamburg, German government officials, and representatives from various sectors, attended a ceremony marking the completion of the maiden voyage.
"We can now offer customers the China-Europe Express, a fast shipping route that is extremely beneficial for goods requiring rapid delivery to Europe or Asia," said Marc-Oliver Hauswald, CEO of Jade Weser Port Wilhelmshaven.
"We anticipate significant cargo traffic between China and Wilhelmshaven. We are open to new opportunities and look forward to building trust with new Chinese partners," said Wilhelmshaven Mayor Carsten Feist.
This milestone route was established through a partnership agreement signed at the China International Import Expo last year. The maiden voyage departed from east China's Ningbo-Zhoushan Port on Dec. 30. The route is set to operate on a monthly basis, enabling regular freight exchange between China and Europe.
The China-Europe Express designates Wilhelmshaven as its core distribution hub, connecting to Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea region through multimodal transport methods such as water-to-water transshipment and sea-rail intermodal transport, which creates an efficient logistics network that can deliver goods from Ningbo-Zhoushan Port to destinations across Europe within 30 days.
First China-Europe Express cargo ship completes maiden voyage
