160 Named Silk Road Maritime Routes Span 153 Ports Worldwide

BEIJING, Sept. 12, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- At the 8th Silk Road Maritime International Cooperation Forum in Xiamen, China, a new chapter in global trade was unveiled. The event, held from September 8 to 9, marked the introduction of 12 new shipping routes, bringing the total number of officially named Silk Road Maritime routes to 160. These routes now span 50 countries and regions, connecting 153 ports worldwide.

Gdansk Port, Poland, emerged as a key player in this maritime network, becoming the first European port to receive an officially named Silk Road Maritime shipping route. The port, known for its deep-water container terminal, serves as a critical hub for trade between Europe and Asia. According to Zhang Bijun, chief representative of the Port of Gdansk Authority's Shanghai office, the new route strengthens Gdansk's role as Europe's gateway, handling around 80 percent of the cargo entering the EU through the China-Europe Railway Express.

The addition of the Silk Road Maritime route to Gdansk is expected to facilitate the efficient entry of Polish agricultural products, cosmetics, and other premium goods into the Chinese market. Jan Van der Borght, port representative of the Antwerp-Bruges Port Authority, highlighted the potential for deeper cooperation in port digitalization, artificial intelligence, green transition, and supply chain resilience. He noted that the structure of China-Europe trade is undergoing profound changes, with China's exports of high value-added, high-tech products growing rapidly.

The Silk Road Maritime platform, now operating for eight years, has become a cornerstone of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), alongside the China-Europe Railway Express and the New Western Land-Sea Corridor. Its services cover container transport, bulk cargo, iron ore, and cross-border e-commerce, forming a diverse and increasingly dense transport network. The network has accumulated over 25,000 vessel calls on its container routes, with cargo throughput exceeding 30 million 20-foot equivalent units.

Xiamen Port, a key player in the Silk Road Maritime network, has been expanding its global reach. In May, a new direct shipping route between Xiamen and Indonesia was launched, becoming part of Xiamen's growing "golden corridor" to Southeast Asia. The Liberian-flagged container ship Yong Wan, carrying food, clothing, and daily necessities worth 200,000 yuan, departed Xiamen Port's Haitian Terminal, offering a seven-day voyage to Jakarta and a nine-day voyage to Surabaya. This marked a significant step in enhancing Xiamen's connectivity with Southeast Asian markets.

In June, a shipment of outdoor supplies, including inflatable swimming pools and air beds worth 200,000 yuan, completed customs clearance and boarded the cargo ship AN YANG 118 at the Haitian Terminal of Xiamen Port, bound for the Port of Cape Town, South Africa. This launch was part of the China-South Africa Secure and Smart Trade Line initiative, further cementing Xiamen's role in international trade.

Xiamen Port now operates 181 shipping routes, including 148 foreign trade lines, with a strong advantage in near-ocean routes and expanding long-haul services to eastern South America and the US East Coast. The port's cross-border e-commerce express lane enables point-to-point services with 10 major ports across five Southeast Asian countries, delivering "Made in Fujian" goods to these markets in just two days. Dedicated iron ore routes from Brazil and Australia bring in over 40 million tons annually, securing China's supply of critical raw materials.

The expansion of the Silk Road Maritime network has broadened the golden waterway, serving as a testament to win-win cooperation. Hu Qimu, a professor at the Maritime Silk Road Institute of Huaqiao University, emphasized the network's value in providing stability to trade during a volatile era. As global supply chains face strain, the Silk Road Maritime platform remains a crucial channel for maintaining domestic and international circulation.