A “MARITIME highway” between Qingdao and South Korea will be opened at the end of August. The “highway” can help freight vehicles in the two countries reach their destinations more conveniently.

    It can largely increase the logistics efficiency and lower the transportation costs.

    According to the city’s transportation department, the first phase of the project allows chassis trailers from both countries to get onto ships.

    At present, using dumping trailers is the most advanced transportation method in the world, using tractors to bring the trailers to the destination and changing into new trailers. It is highly efficient, economic and energy-saving. Combining the method with ships can also reduce transportation costs. The second phase of the project will allow entire vehicles to enter the ship.

    According to the statistics, it takes about 3.5 hours to change the trailer for a container truck, saving about US$50 in total. “This ‘highway’ could largely increase the competitiveness of the harbor,” an official from the department said.

    At present, the city’s transportation department is negotiating with checkpoints, customs and inspection and quarantine departments in the hope of opening a maritime logistics route by August.

    In recent years, Qingdao has been building three logistics systems including sea, air and land, hoping to build the city into an international logistics center in northeast Asia. “The new route will promote business communication and transportation cooperation between the two countries, which is very meaningful for the city’s logistics development,” the official said.

    Cooperation with international logistics companies and carrying out preferential policies to promote the development of the industry have also been encouraged. The city will also apply to build a land container transportation checkpoint, becoming a rail hub for container transportation on railways.

    (Wang Yuanyuan, Song Dawei)