Yangtze ports test the water with longer container shipping routes

Mexico’s Pacific ports race to keep pace with container growth Mexico’s chief gateways on the Pacific coast have chalked up double-digit growth this year and ... CHRW: BIG PRICE TARGET CUTDSV: LOOKING FOR THE FLOOR FDX: WRAPPING UP INPOST TAKEOVERAAPL: DELIVERIESZIM: NEW HAPAG DEAL TALK CONTINUESDHL: HITTING NEW STUNNING LEVEL KNIN: NEW HIGH DSV: ANOTHER PRICE TARGET CUT AMZN: TACO PORTFOLIO ACTIVITYDHL: IT LOOKS GOODDSV: DOWN TO A NEW LOW CHRW: BIG PRICE TARGET CUTDSV: LOOKING FOR THE FLOOR FDX: WRAPPING UP INPOST TAKEOVERAAPL: DELIVERIESZIM: NEW HAPAG DEAL TALK CONTINUESDHL: HITTING NEW STUNNING LEVEL KNIN: NEW HIGH DSV: ANOTHER PRICE TARGET CUT AMZN: TACO PORTFOLIO ACTIVITYDHL: IT LOOKS GOODDSV: DOWN TO A NEW LOW China’s Jiangyin and Nanjing have become the latest Yangtze River ports to demonstrate ocean-going ambitions. Yesterday, Cosco Shipping Specialised Carriers, the Cosco group’s multi-purpose shipping arm, launched a container shipping service from Jiangyin to Mexico’s Manzanillo. More than 500 containers, loaded with machinery and finished goods, were placed on the general cargo ship, CSPC Jade. And last Friday, Cosco started a container service from Nanjing to North Africa, following 2024 and 2025 test voyages through the Northern Sea Route. Yangtze River ports have been pushing for deepsea container shipping routes to cut logistics costs and boost supply chain efficiency for local and hinterland enterprises, gaining a competitive edge in the regional economy. Traditionally, cargo from the Yangtze hinterland had to be barged to major ports like Shanghai or Ningbo, incurring additional port handling and short-haul transport fees, and consuming significant time. Areas in the lower reaches of the Yangtze host vital manufacturing hubs, with industries ranging from home appliances and electronics to automotive parts and photovoltaics – enterprises highly sensitive to logistics efficiency and costs. Direct routes eliminate the need for transhipment. The new Mexico route from Jiangyin, for example, takes 22 days, cutting around 15 days from traditional transhipment routes. Apparently aimed at providing a solution to Panama Canal bottlenecks, some of the cargo will be railed or trucked from Manzanillo into the US. In March, Cosco Shipping Specialised Carriers executed a one-off container shipping voyage from Jiangyin to Belgium’s Antwerp port, using the 1,070 teu Tian Lu. For uninterrupted access, sign in or sign up to The Daily News, Premium or The Loadstar Enterprise Plan. Comment on this article