On July 9, the vessel Cosco Shipping made final preparations for its maiden voyage along the newly minted China-Europe Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) shipping route, signifying the inaugural operation of the first China-Europe Ro-Ro shipping route by a Chinese-owned fleet.

Cosco Shipping, managed by China Cosco Shipping Corp, docked at Xiamen Port's offshore container terminal and was loaded with 2,561 vehicles. Once the cargo was completely loaded onto the vessel, it then set sail for Europe with a total of 3,731 vehicles from both the Shanghai and Xiamen ports. It will transport these vehicles to their destinations in the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Germany.

China Cosco Shipping Corp, established as a State-owned entity last year, currently manages two ships that are each capable of transporting 5,000 vehicles on this pivotal "China-Europe" route.

In response to growing automotive export demands, the company has been commissioning LNG dual-fuel car carriers from major domestic shipyards. These vessels are capable of carrying between 7,000 and 8,600 vehicles.

During the first half of this year, Xiamen Port's offshore container terminal exported 39,121 cars. With the launch of the China-Europe Ro-Ro shipping route, the terminal aims to surpass its annual export target of 100,000 vehicles.

Cosco Shipping. [Photo/Xiamen News]