Taizhou welcomes largest container ship

The container ship Ding Xiang Fu Xing is launched in Sanmen county, Taizhou, Zhejiang province, on Sept 27. [Photo/Tide News]

A 4,200-TEU container ship named Ding Xiang Fu Xing has been introduced in Jiaojiang district of Taizhou, Zhejiang province, marking a step forward in the city's efforts to expand container shipping capacity and strengthen ocean-going operations.

The vessel was launched on Sept 27 in Sanmen county, Taizhou. It is the largest container ship in Taizhou's shipping history, with a capacity of 4,200 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), breaking the previous limit of mostly 2,000 TEUs or fewer for container ships in the city and filling a gap in medium- and large-sized ocean-going container shipping capacity.

According to Si Jialiang, director of the Jiaojiang District Port and Shipping Development Center, the vessel is currently the largest foreign trade container ship in Taizhou Port and can operate on major global routes. It is expected to enter service in November and initially serve the Asia-Europe route, calling at major ports including Shanghai, Singapore, and ports along the Mediterranean coast.

The vessel will expand Taizhou's maritime transport capacity, support local shipping companies in international markets, and boost the development of supporting industries along the shipping chain.