Taizhou Port strengthens international shipping capacity

A Panama-registered container vessel docks at Taizhou Port. [Photo/Taizhou Daily]

A Panama-registered container vessel recently left the Phase I terminal at Taizhou International Container Terminal, heading to South Korea. It is 149.8 meters long, has a beam of 22.5 meters, and nearly 20,000 gross tons, making it the largest container ship ever to berth at this terminal.

Its successful handling marks a new milestone in Taizhou Port's ability to accommodate large international container vessels.

Sinotrans Taizhou Branch launched the South Korea direct shipping route in 2021, mainly serving major exporters like LG. About five ships now operate on this route, with a Panama-registered vessel added as an extra shift to handle urgent demand.

"This shipment volume was too large for ordinary vessels," explained Zhang Meng, head of the company's business department. “This Panama-flagged ship had just unloaded at several ports and was heading toward Taizhou. We immediately arranged for it to make a special run to South Korea, with the possibility of establishing long-term cooperation." On this trip, the vessel transported 224 forty-foot containers of LG refrigerators.

Taizhou Port's Phase I international container terminal can accommodate vessels weighing up to 40,000 tons. It allocated a berth of more than 180 meters to facilitate safe docking. Through accurate piloting and tugboat coordination, the vessel docked smoothly.

Taizhou Port has been steadily increasing its capacity. In May 2024, it was approved to manage Class IX dangerous goods, boosting support for sectors such as new energy and pharmaceuticals. In August, the city government introduced policies to promote container shipping along the Yangtze River, emphasizing route expansion, service improvements, and cost reductions. Subsidies this year are projected to exceed 8 million yuan ($1.12 million).

These combined efforts have yielded significant results. By 2025, Taizhou Port has managed 105,000 TEUs of foreign trade containers, representing a 12.02 percent increase compared to the previous year. The direct route to South Korea alone handled 22,000 TEUs, showing a 14.7 percent increase.