A cargo ship carrying 524 special containers departs from Jiangyin Port in East China's Jiangsu Province on September 23, 2026. Photo: Courtesy of the Jiangsu Maritime Safety Administration

A cargo ship carrying 524 special containers departed from Jiangyin port in East China's Jiangsu Province on Wednesday for Port of Manzanillo in Mexico, marking the official launch of a new direct container shipping route linking Jiangsu and Mexico. 

This new route operates as a direct service with a voyage time of approximately 22 days. Compared with the traditional shipping routes that require transshipment via Shanghai, Ningbo and other ports, the new route greatly cuts down cargo transit time and reduces logistics costs.

The route provides a more efficient and convenient maritime passage for enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta seeking to expand in the North American market, a China News Service report said, citing Jia Yabo, deputy head of the local Maritime Safety Administration.

Jia said most of the special containers carried on the voyage feature a lowered-profile design to meet height restrictions in local railway tunnels and under bridges in Mexico. 

These containers can be directly lifted and transferred between railway flatcars and truck chassis, enabling end-to-end intermodal transportation via road and rail. Upon arrival at Manzanillo Port, the batch of special containers will support inland road-rail intermodal transportation and special cargo logistics services across North America.

As a key foreign trade export hub in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Jiangyin port has opened a number of international container routes connecting Southeast Asia, Europe and other regions in recent years, with its radiation reach and international competitiveness steadily improving. 

The launch of the new route will provide a more convenient and efficient maritime outlet for the equipment manufacturing industry in the Yangtze River Delta to explore the Americas, the report said. 

Previously, on July 8, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) launched a weekly MEXICAS service departed from a terminal of Tianjin Port for Mexico. This marked the official opening of a new direct shipping route from Tianjin Port to Mexico, according to media reports.

Global Times