The vessel ZIM Auckland arrived at Tianjin Port's pacific international container terminal on Dec 26, carrying 380 containers of Chilean cherries weighing approximately 8,000 tons. This is the first shipment of Chilean cherries to northern China for the 2024-2025 season.

Over the course of this season, Tianjin Port is expected to receive four shipments totaling over 1,500 containers of Chilean cherries, a more than threefold increase from the previous year.

To ensure efficiency, Tianjin Port Group, in collaboration with customs and other port authorities, has reduced the container handling time for cherries to under 20 minutes per box. Leveraging a fleet of over 600 transport vehicles, the cherries reach major markets in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei within five hours and extend coverage to regions including East China, South China, Northwest, and Northeast China within 30 hours.

Last year, Tianjin Port Group launched three direct shipping routes to Latin America, connecting with key countries including Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, and Peru, all of which are partners involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. These routes serve major Pacific and Atlantic ports in the region, reducing transportation times for exported goods to as little as 35 days.

The South America-West to Tianjin direct route has seen over 40 voyages, with significant increases in both vessel calls and container volumes. This has enabled expedited deliveries of Latin American products such as blueberries, bananas, cherries, white shrimp, and frozen meats directly to Tianjin Port.

Chile is one of Latin America’s largest fruit exporters, with over 90 percent of its cherries destined for China. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-Latin America Community of Shared Destiny. As key partners in the Belt and Road Initiative, China and Latin America have strengthened trade ties through the New Land-Sea Corridor, enabling Latin American specialty products to enter the Chinese market more affordably and efficiently.

From January to November 2024, Tianjin Port recorded imports of 1.802 million tons of fruits and seafood from Latin America, valued at 56.9 billion yuan ($7.8 billion). This highlights Tianjin Port's pivotal role in fostering trade and cultural exchange between China and Latin America.