SHIP’S VOYAGE ON CHINA-SCOTLAND ROUTE A SUCCESS

THE first container ship on the first China-Scotland direct sea shipping route already begun its voyage back to China, carrying many Scottish products and underscoring the route’s success in boosting trade between the two countries despite global headwinds.

The route links the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in eastern Zhejiang province and Dongguan Port in southern Guangdong province with the ports of Liverpool in England and Greenock in Scotland.

This will cut the shipping time by a third from that of more traditional lines, the Peel Ports Group, operator of Greenock Ocean Terminal, told Beijing-run tabloid Global Times.

The new route aims to reduce traveling time to about 33 days by eliminating unscheduled port congestion delays in Rotterdam. Six ships with about 1,600 standard containers will use the route monthly.

According to Peel Ports, the container ship arrived at Greenock port on August 27 and docked for about 12 hours. It finished unloading and loading goods before returning to the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port.

The Scottish items loaded included beer, confectionary, gin, paper, shortbread, water, oil, gas, machinery and over 1 million bottles of whisky. The unloaded Chinese goods included textiles, furniture, packaging materials, bathroom appliances, fitness equipment, beauty supplies, toys, Christmas decorations and footwear.

Jim McSporran, Clydeport director at Peel Ports, said it was great to welcome the vital service to Greenock.

“We believe this partnership will prove to be a hugely positive development for businesses and customers, as well as boosting the wider supply chain, and we look forward to continuing to work with our partners on this service in the coming months,” McSporran said.

“We knew that China Xpress (NingboGreenock route) was a service needed by many sectors, but still, we’ve been amazed at the level of immediate interest,” said David Milne, managing director of KC Group Shipping, one of the new route’s operators.

“Our direct trading link to China cuts through frustrating transshipment delays, which is a massive boost for Scottish businesses, and it can only help consumers in these difficult times,” he added.

Meanwhile, many Chinese freight bookers are keeping an eye on the new route amid port congestions in Europe.

“We will investigate this new route. If it can keep the current frequency and journey time, we can try it. So far, we have no booking for this route as we mainly cover shipments between China and Germany,” a Yiwu-based logistics agent told Global Times.

The agent noted that maritime ports in Germany were suffering from congestion, which increased the costs of sea shipping and extended the time to about 40 to 50 days.

The opening of the new route shows it is in line with the fundamental interests of enterprises, and that it is impossible for some British politicians to intervene in the operation of the economic market, or decouple from China on trade, Li Yong, deputy chairman of the Expert Committee of the China Association of International Trade, told Global Times.

“The United Kingdom has been seeking its trading position in Europe after Brexit,” Li said, referring to the UK’s messy departure from the European Union. “The opening of the new direct logistics route will help British ports increase their importance. It is also an optimal solution that enterprises came up with amid congestion at European ports.”

Milne also called for the support of Scottish importers and exporters to safeguard the long-term future of the new route, as “it’s been a phenomenal success for KC Group Shipping, but this is just the first of many journeys.”