The Greek foreign ship "Alfa Pride" docked directly at Chaozhou Port in Chaozhou, marking a new breakthrough in "direct ocean access" for imported grains

China News Service, Chaozhou, September 27 (Chen Chuhong and Deng Jingwen) The Greek foreign ship "Alfa Pride", which set sail from Singapore and loaded 69,000 tons of soybeans, successfully docked directly at the Chaozhou Asia-Pacific Fuel Storage Public General Terminal (distribution base) on the 26th. It is reported that this is the first time that the terminal has received a foreign trade ship directly importing soybeans since it was approved as the first designated supervision site for inbound grain in eastern Guangdong and western Fujian in August this year, marking a new breakthrough in the "direct ocean access" of imported grain in Chaozhou Port.

Chaozhou maritime law enforcement officers provided on-site escort to ensure the safe berthing and smooth unloading of the "Alfa Pride" ship. Photo by Ke Qieyu

It is understood that previously imported soybeans at Chaozhou Port had to be transshipped at ports such as Shenzhen and then transported to the port via domestic trade ships, which not only increased transportation costs and transportation cycles, but also brought risks of cargo loss and ship demurrage. Direct foreign shipping has helped local grain and oil processing companies such as Yihai Kerry eliminate many intermediate links and stabilize the supply of raw materials. It has also enriched Chaozhou Port’s foreign trade imports and is of great significance to enhancing the regional grain and oil supply capacity and driving the agglomeration of the port-side grain and oil processing industry.

The "Alfa Pride" ship docked smoothly at the dock. Photo by Ke Qieyu

The reporter learned that in order to ensure the safe berthing and smooth unloading of the ship, the Chaozhou Maritime Department intervened in advance and tracked the entire process. In terms of procedures for approval, Chaozhou Maritime Department staff provide front-line services, open a "green channel" for international sailing ships to enter and exit ports, promote "online processing, immediate processing, and one-time processing", coordinate port units to handle import and export procedures in parallel, and achieve "zero waiting" for ships entering ports. On the day the "Alfa Pride" entered the port, the Chaozhou Maritime Department took multiple measures to implement three-dimensional management and control. It adopted the "sea patrol + air patrol + remote control" model, dispatched coast guard boats to control the entry and exit channels on site and arranged personnel to be on site. Drones were used to inspect the channel and port order, and the smart maritime supervision system was used to remotely monitor ship dynamics to ensure smooth and orderly channels.

The Chaozhou Maritime Department stated that it will continue to optimize the service guarantee mechanism for key ships, improve port customs clearance efficiency and service guarantee levels, help Chaozhou Port improve its port competitiveness, and contribute to the high-quality development of port industries. (over)