Xinhua Silk Road: Customized shipping route fuels economic development in E China's Longkou

BEIJING, Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A vessel carrying cargo like plastic pellets and tires departed from Longkou Port in east China's Shandong Province to Qingdao Port recently, marking the 38th shipment since the launch of the "Longkou-Qingdao" shipping route a year ago.

As of now, the route has transported over 9,100 TEUs of containers, opening up a sea route for enterprises in Longkou and its surrounding areas.

As a tailor-made shipping route, the "Longkou-Qingdao" service handles both international and domestic container cargo. Goods shipped via this route can reach Qingdao Port's frontline directly, with fewer intermediate links, lower logistics costs, and higher transportation efficiency.

Previously, due to the lack of international container trunk line operating conditions at Longkou Port, local enterprises had to transfer their goods to Qingdao Port and Yantai Port by truck — a method that incurred high transportation costs and often faced delays from poor road conditions or adverse weather, leading to unstable delivery timelines.

To solve this problem, Longkou Customs visited enterprises, organized special symposiums, and finally determined to use the "customized route" model.

The customs authority also took the lead in integrating multiple resources, actively promoting cooperation among Longkou Port, Shangang Express, and Worldwide Logistics, and addressing key issues such as insufficient empty container allocation and limited voyage frequency.

Driven by efforts of relevant parties, at the end of July this year, the "Longkou-Qingdao" shipping route officially achieved weekly dual-shift operation, significantly enhancing logistics stability and transportation capacity.

"In August alone, the transportation volume reached 1,305 TEUs, an increase of 154 percent compared to the first month of operation of the route. Now, through the route, we can save an average of about 500 yuan per TEU", said Du Zongjian, Longkou business specialist of Shangang Express (Qingdao) Shipping Co., Ltd.

It is estimated that in the first nine months of this year alone, this route has saved over 4 million yuan in transportation costs for enterprises in Longkou and surrounding areas, effectively reducing their financial pressure,  enabling them to allocate more resources to production, research, and development.

This customized route has not only saved money for enterprises, but also accelerated local foreign trade development, injecting momentum into regional industrial upgrading and high-quality economic development.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/348073.html 

SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road