On June 28, the ro-ro ship “SAIC Anji Phoenix,” loaded with 1,360 domestically produced cars, set sail from Nanjing Port in Jiangsu to the Sultanate of Oman, marking the official opening of the “Nanjing–Middle East” foreign trade ro-ro route. This is the second deep-sea ro-ro route launched by Nanjing Port.
The “SAIC Anji Phoenix” ro-ro ship has a length of 176 meters, a width of 31.1 meters, and a gross tonnage of 37,237. This voyage carries 1,360 domestically produced commercial vehicles, including sedans, pickup trucks, and SUVs from Nanjing, Wuxi, Zhengzhou, and other locations. The opening of the “Nanjing–Middle East” route will significantly shorten transportation cycles, reduce logistics costs, highlight Nanjing Port’s role in radiating to its hinterland, and streamline the entire chain of local vehicle production, loading, and export.
Given the large export volume, diverse vehicle models, tight vessel turnaround time, and high pressure from centralized port operations, the Nanjing Port Border Inspection Station proactively coordinated with terminal operators and shipping agents, obtained core information such as vessel movements and vehicle loading procedures in advance, and tailored a “one-ship, one-policy” service support plan to comprehensively ensure the safe, efficient, and rapid customs clearance of bulk domestic goods.
“We coordinated in advance with customs, maritime authorities, and port transport enterprises for multi-party consultations and assessments, supervised the entire process of vehicle transfer and loading, preemptively identified safety hazards in port operations, resolved bottlenecks and difficulties in cargo export, and opened a fast track for the export of bulk domestic goods,” said Pan Yuting, a police officer from the Third Duty Team of the Nanjing Port Border Inspection Station.
To address the customs clearance characteristics of large-scale, centralized ro-ro loading operations, the Nanjing Port Border Inspection Station innovatively implemented a “human + drone + police dog + under-vehicle detection device” three-dimensional comprehensive inspection and supervision method, achieving full coverage and no-blind-spot dynamic control of the loading area. It also deployed police forces forward and moved services closer, setting up inspection zones at the terminal yard to conduct customs clearance inspections on vehicles scheduled for loading in advance. During the vehicle loading process, the station conducted parallel inspections of the vessel and personnel customs clearance, ensuring that the ship could depart immediately after loading was completed.
“The ‘one-stop’ completion of vehicle inspection, vessel inspection, and personnel customs clearance procedures at Nanjing Port Border Inspection Station minimizes customs clearance time,” said Pu Xuehui, head of the Terminal Operations Department of Nanjing Port Jiangsheng Auto Terminal Co., Ltd. He noted that the efficient services of the border inspection and other departments have significantly improved the efficiency of vessel customs clearance and vehicle loading, resolved the time constraints of large-scale vehicle exports, effectively ensured the punctuality of shipping schedules, and saved enterprises both time and operational costs.
