Quanzhou Port opens its first direct shipping route to Indonesia. [Photo/www.qzwb.com]

On June 15, under the supervision of Quanzhou Customs, the Vietnamese cargo ship Royal 88, carrying 4,600 metric tons of Indonesian kaolin, departed from Belitung Island, Indonesia, and successfully unloaded at the Huajin Terminal in the Jinshang Operation Area of Quanzhou Port. This marked both the first direct foreign trade vessel to arrive at Quanzhou Port after its expansion and the opening of the first direct shipping route to Indonesia at Quanzhou Port. Currently, Quanzhou Port has established a total of 11 Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) shipping routes.

As an important starting point city of the ancient "Maritime Silk Road", Quanzhou is witnessing a continuous increase in trade with countries participating in the BRI. In the first five months of this year, Quanzhou's imports and exports with Belt and Road countries reached 80.45 billion yuan ($12.07 billion), a year-on-year increase of 22.4 percent, accounting for 69 percent of Quanzhou's total foreign trade value. The opening of this new foreign trade route injects fresh energy and vitality into Quanzhou's deep integration into the BRI.

It is reported that the import of kaolin from Indonesia primarily meets the demand of ceramic enterprises in Jinjiang, Nan'an, and other areas for tiles, sanitary ware, and other ceramic products. Compared to unloading at Xiamen Port, unloading at Quanzhou Port can save about 50 yuan per ton in logistics costs. The distance from the port to the enterprises is only over 30 kilometers, and it takes just over 40 minutes to reach, highlighting the significant logistical advantages.