A view of Damaiyu Port in Taizhou's Yuhuan county. [Photo/chinanews.com]

A ship loaded with 256 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and 40 vehicles recently departed from Damaiyu Port in Taizhou's Yuhuan county for Keelung Port, Taiwan.

The cargo volume is the largest for a cargo vessel sailing from Damaiyu Port for Taiwan.

The port has become a favored choice for businesses from both sides of the Taiwan Straits due to its punctuality, low shipping costs and convenient custom clearance, said a head official from the administrative committee of the Zhejiang-Taiwan (Yuhuan) Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone.

Official data shows that the container throughput at Damaiyu Port amounted to 5,944 TEUs in the first seven months of this year, up 492.62 percent year-on-year.

With its advantageous location and unique natural conditions, Damaiyu Port is the only county-level port in Zhejiang province and an important seaport connecting Taizhou to the world.

The port has seen robust growth since its establishment in 1999.

In 2009, a sea route linking Damaiyu with Taiwan's Keelung was opened. To this day, it is still the only direct passenger and cargo route from the Yangtze River Delta to Taiwan.

In 2016, Damaiyu Port obtained the international port code "CNDMY" and became a settlement port of international container trade.

In 2018, Ningbo Zhoushan Port Co Ltd acquired Zhejiang Damaiyu Port Co Ltd, resulting in exponential growth for Damaiyu Port.

The recent opening of the costal highways and high-speed railways has significantly boosted the port's distribution capability.

The port now plays an increasingly pivotal role in boosting cross-Straits economic and trade links, and helping Taiwan characteristic products such as fruit and fish enter the mainland market.