Largest 'ro-ro' auto terminal in Yangtze River basin goes operational

NANJING -- The largest "ro-ro" (roll-on/roll-off) automobile terminal in the Yangtze River basin has gone operational at Taicang Port in East China's Jiangsu province, providing new export channels for Chinese domestic car brands.

The Haitong (Taicang) terminal, which opened Thursday, has already handled three "ro-ro" ships loaded with vehicles from 12 Chinese automakers, including SAIC Motor, Chery and BYD.

The vehicles are to be exported to destinations including Mexico, Peru, Guatemala and the Republic of Korea.

Spanning 860,000 square meters, the terminal boasts a designed annual throughput of 1.3 million vehicles and can accommodate up to 32,000 vehicles at once. It also features five automobile service centers, offering services such as warehousing, testing, maintenance and charging.

According to Dai Chenhao, vice chairman of Haitong (Taicang) Automobile Terminal Co Ltd, the terminal will enhance vehicle transport within the Yangtze River Delta and across the Yangtze River basin, promoting the coordinated development of automobile production, transportation and sales, and optimizing logistic costs.

As Jiangsu's largest automobile export port, Taicang Port has exported 437,300 vehicles in the first 11 months of 2024, an increase of 19.8 percent year on year. These exports have reached 116 countries and regions worldwide.