The Toumen port area of Taizhou Port. [Photo/WeChat account: tzfb001]

The berthing of the Liberia-flagged cargo vessel Honever at the Toumen port area of Taizhou Port in East China's Zhejiang province on May 12, as it prepared to load three unpowered barges built by Zhejiang Hexing Shipyard for shipment to Rotterdam, marks Taizhou Port's first export to the Netherlands and a new step in large-scale cargo transport operations.

The operation involved complex deck cargo handling, requiring precise stability calculations, loading plans, and lashing arrangements, given the structures' size and weight.

Local port authorities coordinated with port operators and related agencies to review berthing and loading procedures, drawing on prior experience in barge exports and heavy equipment handling to ensure safe, efficient operations.

The Toumen port area, a core section of Taizhou Port, has improved its handling capacity in recent years through infrastructure upgrades. Since further opening to international trade, the port has supported overseas delivery of locally built vessels and equipment.

Taizhou is a major shipbuilding base in China with a coastline of 1,544 kilometers. As the global shipping industry enters an upward cycle, Taizhou Port will strengthen cooperation with maritime-related agencies and enterprises to expand international routes and support industrial development.