MSC TEXAS docks at Qingdao Port. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

The container vessel MSC TEXAS berthed at Qingdao Qianwan Container Terminal of Qingdao Port, a subsidiary of Shandong Port Group (SPG), on Feb 8. 

This voyage marks the official launch of EMPI at Qingdao Port, a new shipping service run by Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A (MSC), which links Qingdao Port to the east coast of the United States.

Measuring 334 meters in length, the vessel has a maximum deadweight capacity of 8,533 twenty-foot equivalent units and will be deployed on the new shipping route along with another 14 vessels.

Against the backdrop of increasingly connected global trade and the reorganization of shipping alliances, the launch of the new route will build a new bridge for maritime trade between East Asia and the east coast of the United States. It also represents a significant stride for Qingdao Port in expanding international markets and strengthening trade connectivity with the global community. This will result in closer shipping connectivity between Qingdao Port and the US east coast.

Furthermore, the launch of the EMPI service will optimize the network layout of MSC globally, establishing more direct and speedy maritime corridors between Asia and the US east coast. The service will not only shorten transportation time and reduce logistics costs but also drive the expansion of routes and the enhancement of services at Qingdao Port. Consequently, more domestic and overseas customers will choose Qingdao Port as a hub for imports, exports and transit, solidifying Qingdao Port's status as an important international hub.