Some 100 representatives from domestic and overseas government agencies, shipping companies, cargo owners, freight forwarders, and logistics firms attended a symposium in Yantian on Oct. 15 to mark the addition of a new ZIM service that significantly reduces shipping times between Yantian Port and the east coast of South America.

ZIM's Falcon Service (ZFS) has been added to Yantian International Container Terminals' (YICT) South America network, providing direct calls from Yantian to major Brazilian ports including Rio Grande, Paranagua, Itajai, Santos, and Rio de Janeiro.

The current route is: Shanghai → Ningbo → Xiamen → Hong Kong → Yantian → Rio Grande → Paranagua → Itajai → Santos → Rio de Janeiro → Shanghai.

As the final port of call in Asia, Yantian enables vessels to bypass congested Southeast Asian ports, helping them maintain higher speeds and shorten voyages from China to the east coast of South America. The voyage from Yantian Port to Itajaí takes about 27 days, compared with about 29 days to Buenos Aires and 30 days to Montevideo — seven to 10 days less than the market average. By also avoiding congestion at ports in northern Brazil, the route can save 10 to 14 days, according to the company. The new service will help customers expand their presence in the South American market by providing faster and more reliable shipping.

From January to August 2026, total bilateral goods trade between China and Brazil grew 19% year-on-year, with traded goods increasingly shifting from traditional commodities to higher-value-added products.

As one of the few ultra-large deep-water ports in the world, YICT operates nearly 100 global routes weekly, of which 53 connect APEC member economies, and 14 new international routes have been added since the start of 2026. Meanwhile, Yantian Port's sea-rail intermodal network enables cargo to be transported seamlessly from the hinterland to Yantian by rail before setting out on international routes.

Currently, ZIM operates 10 regular weekly services at Yantian Port, including the ZEX express service that takes only 12.5 days from Yantian to the U.S. West Coast. Yantian Port operates a total of 6 Latin America routes weekly, covering core regional ports in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and other areas.

Statistics show that the volume of cargo exported from Yantian to South America grew 22.7% year on year from January to September 2026.

Meanwhile, fresh produce from South America such as fruits and beef will reach Chinese consumers more quickly via the new service. Both standard dry containers and reefer containers can be efficiently transported through YICT's sea-rail intermodal services, facilitating smooth distribution of imported goods from Yantian Port to inland markets.

The launch of the service further expands Yantian Port’s network in South America, offering customers more reliable, efficient and environmentally friendly supply chain solutions amid uncertainty in global trade and supply chains.