New Yangtze River Route Cuts EV Export Transit Time From 6 Days to 3

A new river-sea shipping route connecting Wuhu in Anhui Province with Shanghai has started operations, significantly reducing transit times for new-energy vehicle (NEV) exports by over 50 percent, according to port authorities on Monday.

Early on Monday morning, a shipment of newly manufactured NEVs docked at Shanghai's Yangshan Phase III terminal via the Wuhu-Shanghai NEV export route.

According to Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG), the route operates two scheduled sailings per day. One service runs directly to Yangshan Port, with capacity provided by 12 barges of 400 to 600 TEUs each, while the other links Wuhu with Waigaoqiao Port, supported by nine barges of 260 to 300 TEUs.

Both services run point-to-point without intermediate port calls, reducing transit time from the previous five to six days to around two to three days.

Customs and maritime procedures have also been streamlined. The route applies a "single-container" water-to-water transshipment model, under which containers are cleared at the port of departure and transferred without repeated declarations or unnecessary physical inspections.

"The number of declaration and approval procedures has been reduced from as many as six to three," said Guan Yue, deputy director at Yangshan Port Maritime Safety Administration.

Approval time can be shortened by 48 to 96 hours, saving about 2,000 to 3,000 yuan (US$284 to US$426) per standard container, Guan added.

To support daily operations, authorities and port operators in Shanghai and Anhui have connected logistics data systems, allowing cargo owners to track shipments throughout the transport process.

SIPG also forecasts demand, allocates vessel space, and adjusts capacity in advance, while maintaining round-the-clock customer and dispatch coordination.

The Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission said growing NEV exports from the Yangtze River Delta have increased demand for faster cross-regional logistics, prompting authorities and port operators in Shanghai and Anhui to develop the new route.