The container vessel 'Irenes Ray' operated by Maersk Group docked at Qingdao Port of Shandong Port Group (SPG) on April 4, marking the maiden voyage of the PH1 service, a Southeast Asia-bound service independently operated by Maersk. This opens an efficient seaborne corridor for Qingdao Port's Southeast Asia service network.

The vessel carries goods including daily necessities, mechanical and electrical products as well as light industrial products. The PH1 service deploys six 2,500-TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) vessels providing weekly services, creating a fast logistics channel linking Qingdao Port directly to key Southeast Asian ports such as Manila South Harbor in the Philippines and Jakarta in Indonesia.

The launch of the service represents notable progress in terms of the port expanding its Southeast Asian market and optimizing its global service layout. This has brought Qingdao Port's total Southeast Asia-bound routes to over 50, ranking first among all ports in northern China by the number of routes.

The newly introduced service satisfies the import demand of Shandong and surrounding markets for specialized agricultural products from Southeast Asia, while creating a maritime highway for exporting chemical products and mechanical and electrical products.

This effectively addresses the pain points of enterprises based in northern China that used to transit through ports in the country's south for exports, thus significantly slashing logistics costs and shortening transport times.

Meanwhile, fresh fruits from Southeast Asia can enter markets in northern China even faster through cold chain logistics, further enriching local consumers' diets.

'Irenes Ray' docks at Qingdao Port, inaugurating the PH1 Southeast Asia route and boosting regional maritime connectivity. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cm]