Xiamen Port is one of the major hubs of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. [Photo/VCG]

The Maritime Silk Road route Maersk IA88 recorded a 30 percent surge in international transshipment business at Xiamen Port, local news reported on June 1.

Launched by Denmark's Maersk, one of the world's largest container shipping companies, the IA88 route can efficiently transfer heavy containers from Southeast Asian countries to the west coast of the United States via Xiamen Port.

Since the COVID-19 epidemic outbreak began, Maersk IA88 has played an active role in international cargo transport linking Southeast Asia and the US, and provided efficient high-quality services to its consumers, according to an official at the port.

Statistics show that the Maersk IA88 route has witnessed steady growth in its business volume since its establishment in 2019. Its container throughput is expected to rise to 15,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) in the first five months of this year, a growth rate of more than 30 percent year-on-year.

An official said that Xiamen Port's world-class facilities and continuously optimized services are important considerations for Maersk. The company has opened a total of eight Maritime Silk Road routes, all of which are showing strong development.

The Maritime Silk Road, launched by Fujian province on Dec 12, 2018, has opened 60 routes, and a total of 159 port, shipping, logistics, trade, and manufacturing companies have joined the project, which has become a crucial part of Xiamen's efforts to attract investment as well as a major platform contributing to Xiamen Port's "opening up and going global" strategy.