Three fast-track sea routes from the Mawan, Dachan Bay and Yantian ports to Hong Kong were officially inaugurated yesterday to operate on a regular basis and ensure supplies to Hong Kong.
At 6:30 p.m. Monday, a barge carrying 200 tons of vegetables, fruits and eggs worth 30 truckloads or 26 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), left Dachan Bay Port in western Shenzhen and arrived at Hong Kong Modern Terminals at 11 p.m.
The sea route from Mawan Port to Tuen Mun Terminus will take about two to three hours, while the route from Yantian International Container Terminals to Hong Kong International Terminals will take about seven to eight hours.
The three ports’ designated berths can handle about 3,000 TEUs a day.
A barge loaded with 52 TEUs worth of basic necessities left Mawan Port early yesterday morning for Tuen Mun Terminus. The barge, with a 28-truckload capacity, was loaded with sweaters, pajamas, toothbrushes and slippers that Hong Kong people ordered online.
Early yesterday morning, a total of 51 tons were delivered to Hong Kong and are now available in the territory’s markets.
Shenzhen YTAD Logistics Co. Ltd., one of the companies that deploys barges to transport supplies to Hong Kong, sells fruits and vegetables to 200 outlets of Hong Kong Asia Food and Beverage Group Ltd.
“Our company is just a small company in the food supply chain to Hong Kong. Many logistics companies have opted for sea service to transport supplies to Hong Kong since land transportation is limited,” said Liu Runlong, chairman of the company.
Key member enterprises under Shenzhen Rice Bag Vegetable Basket Federation have arranged transport for vegetables and agricultural produce to ensure market supply in Hong Kong.
At present, Shenzhen’s ports operate 134 shipping liners a week that call at Hong Kong ports. According to Dong Yanze, head of the Sea Navigation Department of the Shenzhen Municipal Transport Bureau, the sea transportation is supplementary to land transportation and the bureau will adjust shipment depending on the actual situation.