Anping Port opens China express line

TIN news:  Manufacturers and producers based in southern Taiwan now have a faster option for exporting their products to China after the maritime express consignment zone at Tainan’s Anping Port began operations.
The nation’s first all-cargo shipping service to China, a direct shipping service from Anping to Quanzhou in China’s Fujian Province was also launched on Tuesday.
Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan’s agricultural and industrial products can be exported through Anping Port, which has the only maritime express consignment zone in southern Taiwan, Taiwan International Port Corp’s (TIPC) Anping office manager Lee Yung-mao (李湧茂) said.
Two operators had already begun offering express shipping service to China from Anping prior to the official launch of the maritime express consignment zone, Lee said.
The Shang He Sheng cargo vessel delivers goods to Xiamen via Kinmen, and the Feng Ze Yuan provides shipping services from Anping to Quanzhou, Lee said.
The former can carry 500 containers, while the latter is able to ship 672 containers, he added.
Anping is 145 nautical miles (268.5km) from Xiamen and 140 nautical miles from Quanzhou, the shipping company said.
The maritime express consignment zone was established as a platform to integrate services provided by stevedores, warehouse operators and shipping companies, and to offer an end-to-end solution for producers and manufacturers, the company said.
Having a maritime express consignment zone would also be of benefit to the development of the e-commerce industry, the company said.
The company said that it takes about 12 hours to ship goods from Anping to Xiamen. As Xiamen Port (廈門港) allows expedited entry of cross-border e-commerce goods, it has become the best logistical option for owners of e-commerce businesses.
The Shan He Sheng sails every Wednesday and Sunday from Anping to Xiamen via Kinmen.
The Feng Ze Yuan sails from Anping to Quanzhou and back once a week.
The nation has another maritime express consignment zone, at New Taipei City’s Taipei Port (台北港), which ships goods produced in the north of the nation.
The Haixiahao and the Natshan Rera, which carry both passengers and cargo, offer regular shipping services from Taipei to Pingtan Island in China’s Fujian Province.