"Made in China" Mega-Equipment Embarks on Arctic "Ice Silk Road"

“Astron”, the 10,000-ton heavy-lift carrier, recently set sail from Shidao New Port in Rongcheng City, carrying six ultra-large tower units with a combined weight exceeding 2,200 metric tons. The vessel is headed for Eastern Europe via the Arctic shipping route.

The Arctic shipping route serves as both an efficient new logistics corridor linking Asia and Europe and an extension of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, dubbed the "Ice Silk Road." Eastern Europe, a crucial intersection of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, has consistently been a key market under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The shipment comprises tower equipment for petrochemical use, custom-manufactured by Weihai Shidao Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. for Eastern European clients. The largest unit measures 75 meters in length and 9 meters in diameter, weighing more than 500 metric tons.

“These oversized units, with their complex manufacturing specifications, presented significant transport and export challenges,” said Wang Tao, a representative from Rongcheng Huadong International Shipping Agency Co., Ltd., the export agent for the cargo. “The loading process alone took four to five days. Any delays in Customs clearance could have jeopardized the delivery schedule.”

To address these issues, Rongcheng Customs, a subsidiary of Qingdao Customs, took proactive measures by contacting the exporter ahead of the schedule to understand their requirements, and assisted in resolving challenges such as logistics for the oversized equipment and tight vessel schedules. Teng Haibin, head of the Port Supervision Section of Rongcheng Customs Office in Shidao Port, explained: “We coordinated with the port operator to designate special Customs surveillance zones, which facilitated both the secure storage of the goods and streamlined Customs oversight. Meanwhile, the carrying vessel was given priority in Customs clearance and quarantine procedures. We also guided the exporter to make use of facilitated measures such as “advance declaration” and “direct loading upon arrival”, which helped shorten the overall clearance time and ensured the equipment was shipped on schedule without delay.” (By Sun Weihang)

Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of GACC. The GACC version shall prevail.