A vessel docks at the Yongzhou Container Terminal. [Photo/Tide News]

Jintang port area in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, has expanded its international shipping network, now with 41 routes to countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The latest development follows the arrival of the CMA CGM Zephyr at Jintang's Yongzhou Container Terminal on April 7, marking the first voyage of a West Africa Express 1 service after its transfer to Jintang. The vessel was scheduled to handle 1,947 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) before departing for destinations including Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire.

Six West Africa routes are being gradually shifted to the terminal and are expected to bring about 50,000 TEUs of monthly throughput, strengthening Jintang's long-haul shipping network. Zhoushan Customs has introduced measures such as advance declaration and appointment-based clearance to ensure efficient operations, enabling vessels to begin work immediately upon arrival.

Located at the intersection of major river estuaries along China's eastern coast, Jintang serves as a key hub of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, with deep-water shorelines capable of accommodating vessels of up to 300,000 metric tons.

Jintang handled 696,000 TEUs in the first quarter of this year across its 41 routes covering 27 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, with container throughput rising 23 percent year-on-year.