New shipping route to link Xiamen, United Arab Emirates

A new shipping route to the United Arab Emirates is launched at Xiamen port. [Photo/xmnn.cn]

The "Emirates Sana" container ship left Xiamen for the United Arab Emirates on June 18, marking the launch of a new foreign trade route at Xiamen port.

Built in 2006, the 100,000 ton cargo ship is 304 meters long and capable of carrying up to 6,741 containers.

The new route is expected to offer six container ships with one voyage every week, docking sequentially at ports in Singapore, Malaysia, India and other countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

"This new route provides another option for cargo owners to export their cargo to Southeast Asia and the Middle East," the Head of the Xiamen Port Bureau said. "Besides, it will help boost the amount of Xiamen port's foreign trade containers."

At present, more than 70 percent of the containers handled at the world's 14th largest port are for foreign trade.

Of its 140 shipping routes, 100 are foreign trade ones, reaching more than 130 ports in over 40 countries and regions and its five largest 200,000 ton berths are all prepared for ships dealing with foreign trade.

Thanks to its booming foreign trade container business, Xiamen port delivered more than 4.2 million containers in the first five months of this year, up by 8.8 percent year-on-year.