A new direct ro-ro shipping route from the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing to Europe commenced service on Sunday, as a newly built roll-on roll-off vessel set sail on its maiden voyage, carrying 1,530 Chinese-made new energy vehicles.
The ro-ro vessel departed from the port of Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, bound for the ports of Barcelona in Spain and Zeebrugge in Belgium.
The new route enables direct river-sea transit, eliminating transshipment at major coastal hubs. This significantly cuts warehousing and logistical costs while boosting delivery efficiency and market competitiveness for Chinese automobile exports.
The Nanjing Port handled 13,900 vehicle exports in 2025, while the export volume surged to 29,100 vehicles in the first nine months of this year alone, marking a substantial year-on-year increase, data from local authorities showed.
Nanjing opens direct ro-ro route to Europe with maiden voyage of new energy vehicles
