Nansha Port launches weekly South America shipping route

A 62,000-ton multi-purpose pulp carrier, China Ocean Shipping Company's inaugural weekly service ship to BRICS countries in eastern South America, began operations at the Nansha Port in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Monday. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

A 62,000-ton multi-purpose pulp carrier, China Ocean Shipping Company's inaugural weekly service ship to BRICS countries in eastern South America, began operations at the Nansha Port in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Monday.

The vessel is operated by COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers. It is set to begin its journey to South America after loading 660 new energy vehicles and container cargo, according to the Guangzhou Port Company.

The shipping route started operations in September 2023, connecting the Guangzhou port to South America, including the Port of Vitoria in Brazil. Starting from the latest voyage, the route to South America will undergo a comprehensive upgrade and optimization.

One of the upgraded services highlighted is the frequency of the route, which has been increased from bi-weekly to weekly to ensure fast turnover and an accurate schedule, according to the shipping company.

COSCO Shipping has deployed more than 40 large multi-purpose pulp carriers for the new services, including 20 vessels from the 77,000-ton series as primaries and 22 vessels from the 62,000-ton series as backup, providing a stable capacity guarantee for the service.

The vessel stops at key ports in China, including Qingdao, Taicang, Ningbo, and Nansha, covering core ports in Brazil, such as Salvador, Vitoria, and Sepetiba. Goods can reach major South American ports in as fast as 30 days.

The vessels are designed with fixed refrigerated slots on the deck for safe and efficient transportation of various types of containers, according to the port company.

The design will help attract cold storage goods from South America, such as pork, beef, lamb, white shrimp, salmon, and squid, for distribution in markets in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The trade volume between China and Latin America surpassed $500 billion for the first time in 2024. Since 2012, China has consistently held the position of the second-largest trading partner of Latin America. For Brazil, Chile, and Peru, it is the largest trading partner.