Kawa Shipping makes first call at JadeWeserPort on China-Europe Express container service

Chinese container line Kawa Shipping has made its first call at the German JadeWeserPort in Wilhelmshaven on a new service between China and Europe.

As part of the China-Europe Express (CEX) service, Kawa Shipping’s vessel Kawa Ningbo sailed direct from Ningbo port in southern China, with a transit time of 26 days across 12,000 nautical miles (rather than the average 45 days). The company said it is initially sailing on a monthly basis with vessels of 2,500-TEU capacity but is planning to expand this year to two-week departures using vessels with a capacity of 5,000 TEUs. Wilhelmshaven is a deep-water port, with a depth of 18 metres, capable of berthing larger container vessels.

A spokesperson for JadeWeserPort said that the service was able to support the shipment of electric vehicle (EV) batteries and other critical automotive components. While it has imposed additional tariffs on EVs, the European Union has not put punitive tariffs on EV batteries.

Kawa Shipping, which is a relative newcomer having been founded in 2023, was booked by Zhejiang Seaport Logistics (ZSL), which set up operations at JadeWeserPort in September last year at the logistics centre owned by logistics property developer P3. Those operations are organised under a subsidiary at the port called Zhejiang Seaport (Germany) Supply Chain Management.

“We are pleased to welcome the Kawa Ningbo, the first vessel of the new CEX service, on schedule in Wilhelmshaven,” said Tao Chengbo, chairman of ZSL at a welcoming ceremony held on January 24. “The vessel started its voyage on 30 December 2024 in Ningbo. We are convinced that JadeWeserPort is an optimal logistics hub for our planned European hinterland transport and transhipment services.”

VW Group also has a global packaging centre at Wilhelmshaven handling parts to more than 30 international factories for VW Group brands, including Audi (which is the main tenant), Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

Maritime Silk Road
The CEX service builds on China’s Belt and Road trade and infrastructure plan to develop international links by land and sea, and make transport and logistics services more efficient and cost-effective in the process.

“The new CEX direct service not only facilitates the exchange of goods between China and Europe but also plays a positive role in stabilising global production and supply chains,” said Wu Cong, consul general of the People’s Republic of China in Hamburg, who was also at the welcoming ceremony. “It reflects the profound significance of the Silk Road Initiative. The further development of the CEX service will open up new opportunities for cooperation between the two ports and provide new impetus to the economies of both regions.”

That statement is notable in the context of automotive trade tensions between the EU and China, and now between the US and the rest of the world, as well as the acceleration of nearshoring, a trend gaining momentum in response to the tariffs and the desire to reduce dependency on Chinese manufacturing.

JadeWeserPort comprises a 130-hectare container terminal with a 1,725-metre quay, and 150 hectares of commercial and industrial classification adjacent, with room for expansion.