The arrival of Singapore-flagged 3,013-TEU Wan Hai 357 at Dalian port in northeast China marked the launch of a new route to the west coast of South America. The ship was loaded with 3,000 TEU of bananas and white prawns and left the Port of Guayaquil in Ecuador on December 28.

The route links the Dalian port with ports in Colombia and Ecuador and other major ports on the west coast of South America. The voyage now takes only 25 days, saving at least seven days compared to the previous transportation mode via transit shipment service. It will expedite the entry of cold chain goods, such as seafood and fruits, from South America into the northeast China market.

The new route is operated once a week by Taiwan's Wan Hai Lines with six 3,000-TEU ships. According to Li Xiaoguang, general manager of Dalian Container Terminal of Liaoning Port Group, which oversees Dalian Port, there are currently 105 containership routes from Dalian Port, reaching more than 300 ports in over 160 countries and regions around the world.