The ZIM Wilmington docks at the Xiamen International Container Terminal. [Photo/Xiamen Daily]

The ZFS service made its first call at Xiamen Port on Sept 24, with the ZIM Wilmington departing from the Xiamen International Container Terminal.

Operated jointly by ZIM Integrated Shipping and Hapag-Lloyd, ZFS is Fujian's only weekly direct service to the East Coast of South America. It deploys 11 vessels of 7,000 to 9,000 TEU, giving Fujian exporters a reliable shipping link to Latin America.

The service connects major ports along South America's East Coast. From Xiamen, it offers direct calls at five Brazilian ports — Rio Grande, Itajai, Paranagua, Rio de Janeiro, and Santos.

The ZIM Wilmington is loaded with containers. [Photo/Xiamen Daily]

Dedicated feeder links extend coverage to Buenos Aires in Argentina and Montevideo in Uruguay, while transshipment services reach inland ports such as Manaus and Vitoria in Brazil and Paraguay, forming a comprehensive shipping network across the region.

The voyage from Xiamen to Rio Grande, a key Brazilian hub, takes just 27 days, and to Santos only 39 days — 7 to 20 days faster than traditional transshipment routes, significantly improving logistics efficiency.

The service handles a wide range of cargo — including new energy vehicles, dangerous goods, and refrigerated and special containers — meeting export demands for high-value goods such as lithium batteries and energy storage cabinets. It offers businesses in the hinterland an efficient logistics channel to South American markets.