“KAWA NINGBO” opens connection between Ningbo and Wilhelmshaven

During a festive opening ceremony at JadeWeserPort, representatives from politics and business welcomed the first container ship of the new China-Europe Express (CEX) today in Wilhelmshaven. With the departure of the “KAWA NINGBO”, a container ship from the Chinese shipping company KAWA Shipping, a new direct connection between the ports of Ningbo and Wilhelmshaven has been established.

(Wilhelmshaven) With a transit time of only 26 days, the new China-Europe Express (CEX) is currently the fastest direct waterway connection on the market for container transport between China’s busiest port Ningbo (South China) and Northern Europe. The shipping company KAWA Shipping is a new customer at JadeWeserPort and is opening up new market opportunities with the CEX. Maud Lau, Managing Director of KAWA Shipping, said: “With the CEX service, we are expanding our business activities in Europe and initially offering shippers a monthly departure between Ningbo and Wilhelmshaven. Container ships with a capacity of 2,500 TEU (20-foot standard containers) will be used. In the second half of the year, we plan to expand to bi-weekly departures with container ships of 5,000 TEU capacity.”

This new connection was initiated by the Zhejiang Seaport Logistics Group, which has been operating in the freight transport center of JadeWeserPort since September 2024. At the welcoming ceremony at JadeWeserPort, the chairman of the Zhejiang Seaport Logistics Group, Tao Chengbo, said: “We are pleased to welcome the first ship of the new CEX service, the “KAWA NINGBO”, which started its sea journey on December 30, 2024, in Ningbo, on time in Wilhelmshaven. We are confident that we have found an optimal logistics hub for the European hinterland transports and transshipment operations we plan with JadeWeserPort.”

New CEX service even more attractive for shippers

For Marc-Oliver Hauswald, Managing Director of Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven JadeWeserPort-Marketing, the CEX represents a unique connection between the two strong economic regions of the Yangtze Delta and Northern Europe. He emphasized: “This waterway ‘Fast Lane’ connects Northern Europe and China in just 26 days without further stops and complements existing liner services. Compared to competitors along the Northern European coast, this connection is currently unique and thus a unique selling point for JadeWeserPort.” In addition to the waterway connection between the two continents, continuous hinterland transport by rail from Wilhelmshaven to Budapest is also ensured. “JadeWeserPort will become a hub in global logistics, as the ports of the North American East Coast can also be quickly reached via Wilhelmshaven,” explained Hauswald.

Michael Blach, Chairman of the Management Board of EUROGATE GmbH & Co. KGaA, the operator of the container terminal, said: “From Ningbo directly to Wilhelmshaven in just 26 days transit time. This is a real unique selling point in the Asia-Europe traffic. We look forward to this collaboration and will do our best for a fast and smooth handling at our terminal.”

Frank Doods, State Secretary in the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economics, Transport, Construction and Digitalization, also addressed the company representatives and guests at the opening ceremony: “Wilhelmshaven, with its excellent nautical conditions and Germany’s only container deep-water port, is predestined for new liner services. In addition, there is excellent transport connectivity by truck and rail. These are ideal conditions to meet the increasing demands of modern logistics chains. The new CEX service between Wilhelmshaven and China is therefore not only an important bridge that will lead to greater visibility among customers in the Far East, but also a signal for further growth at JadeWeserPort.”

For the Chinese partners of the CEX service, the currently fastest liner service between China and Northern Europe is an impressive example of the successful expansion of the “Maritime Silk Road”. With this, China and the involved partners aim to make transport offers and logistics solutions more efficient, cost-effective, and service-oriented for the benefit of the economy. The Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Hamburg, Wu Cong, said about the launch of the CEX service in Wilhelmshaven: “The new direct liner service ‘China-Europe Express’ not only facilitates the exchange of goods between China and Europe but also plays a positive role in stabilizing global production and supply chains, reflecting the deep significance of the ‘Silk Road Initiative’. The further development of the CEX service will open new opportunities for cooperation between the two ports and provide new impulses for the economies of both regions.”

Freight transport center benefits from new services

Sönke Kewitz, Managing Director of P3 Germany, said: “The arrival of the ‘KAWA NINGBO’ marks a significant milestone for JadeWeserPort and international trade. The new direct liner service to China creates diverse growth and development opportunities. JadeWeserPort offers companies optimal conditions for their business activities. We appreciate the excellent cooperation with Zhejiang Seaport and plan to start the next construction phase as early as 2025.” The subsidiary of the port operator Ningbo Port settled as the first tenant of the approximately 32,000 square meters of logistics space of P3 Logistic Parks in JadeWeserPort and already occupied the first hall in November last year.

Photo: © JadeWeserPort/Björn Lübbe / Image caption (from left to right): Carsten Feist, Mayor of the City of Wilhelmshaven, Wu Cong, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Hamburg, Frank Doods, State Secretary of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economics, Transport, Construction and Digitalization, Michael Blach, Chairman of the Management Board of EUROGATE GmbH & Co. KGaA, KG,
Xingang Xu, GM Zhejiang Seaport Logistics Group, Marc-Oliver Hauswald, GF Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven JadeWeserPort-Marketing GmbH & Co. KG, Maud Lau, Managing Director KAWA SHIPPING