China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited (COSCO Shipping) subsidiary Hainan Port & Shipping Holding Co., Ltd. announced on the 28th that the "Far East–West South America" route embarked on its maiden voyage from Hainan Yangpu Port to Peru’s Chancay Port on the night of the 27th.
According to China News Service, the route is operated by COSCO Shipping and is based on the original "Far East–West South America" route, with Yangpu Port now included as a core port of call. Ten large container vessels have been deployed to ensure shipping capacity.
Peru’s Chancay Port is a key natural deep-water port and regional logistics gateway on the west coast of South America, while Yangpu Port is a core port in the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port as well as a major hub for the New Western Land-Sea Corridor. COSCO Shipping stated that with the launch of the direct route between the two ports, Yangpu Port will leverage COSCO Shipping’s global route network to connect the logistics chain of "Chinese Coastal—Southeast Asia—Pacific—South America," strengthening its influence as a hub in the New Western Land-Sea Corridor.
A relevant official from Hainan Port & Shipping Holding pointed out that after the adjustment of the "Far East–West South America" route, one-way voyage time will be stabilized at 29 days, which will improve logistics efficiency between Hainan and South American countries. Hainan’s high-quality tilapia and other frozen aquatic products will no longer need transshipments and can reach markets like Peru and Chile more quickly; meanwhile, Peru’s avocados and Chile’s cherries, among other specialty agricultural products, will utilize the dual advantages of "direct routes + free trade port policies" for lower logistics costs and fresher direct supply.
Yangpu Port in Hainan is accelerating the advancement of "dual-direction, dual-hub" port construction, namely, building a southern hub port for north-south domestic shipping and an eastern hub port for eastbound shipping from Southeast Asia to North America. At present, a network covering China's coastal ports, extending to Southeast Asia, and traversing the Pacific has basically taken shape. Upon commissioning of Phase I (Phase II) of the Yangpu regional international container hub port expansion project, the annual designed throughput capacity will reach 5 million TEUs.