SE China’s Ningde opens its first ro-ro shipping route to Mexico

Photo shows vehicles ready to be exported at Sanduao Port in Ningde, southeast China’s Fujian Province. (Photo/People’s Daily Online)

A large roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) ship loaded with 1,000 vehicles left Sanduao Port in Ningde, southeast China’s Fujian Province, on March 15. It is scheduled to arrive at the Port of Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, in over a month.

It is the first time that vehicles produced in Ningde were directly exported from the city through a ro-ro shipping route, and marks another big stride in building the city’s globalized supply chain system after it launched China-Europe freight train services this year.

The city’s authorities attach great importance to the sea route, and relevant departments ensure efficient customs clearance, helping locally-made vehicles smoothly flow into the global market.

Photo shows a large ro-ro ship bound for Mexico leaving Sanduao Port in Ningde, southeast China’s Fujian Province. (Photo/Chen Da)

“We’ve gained strong support from customs in terms of manufacturing equipment and auto parts imports and automobile exports,” said Wang Zemin, general manager of SAIC Anji Logistics Co., Ltd., adding that the company’s products can immediately be shipped after rolling off the assembly line.

The new route improves logistics efficiency, cuts delivery duration, and facilitates flexible shipping in light of overseas marketing plans, Wang said.

The Ningde base, with an annual export volume of about 200,000 units, is the fourth largest of SAIC Motor, a leading automaker in China. Local automobile products used to be first transported to the Jiangyin Port in Fuqing, or to Xiamen, Fujian Province, by expressway or railway, and then headed for other countries via ro-ro ships.

Exports now directly sailing from the city save travel time by three to five days, hugely reducing logistics and time costs. 

Photo shows an unveiling ceremony for the ro-ro shipping route to Mexico from Ningde, southeast China’s Fujian Province. (Photo/People’s Daily Online)

Photo shows a large ro-ro ship bound for Mexico leaving Sanduao Port in Ningde, southeast China’s Fujian Province. (Photo/People’s Daily Online)

Photo shows vehicles ready to be exported at Sanduao Port in Ningde, southeast China’s Fujian Province. (Photo/People’s Daily Online)