Vehicle imports and exports thrive at the Shanghai Haitong International Automobile Terminal in the Waigaoqiao Port Area. [Photo/pdnews]

During the 2024 Spring Festival holiday, the Shanghai Haitong International Automobile Terminal in the Waigaoqiao Port Area achieved a record of over 30,000 vehicle imports and exports, marking a nearly 30 percent increase from the previous year.

Additionally, the Waigaoqiao Border Checkpoint conducted inspections on nearly 20 international roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessels, a growth of over 17 percent compared to the previous year.

The Panamanian-registered vessel Swordfish Leader recently departed from the port, carrying over 1,700 vehicles from renowned brands such as Chery, Great Wall, and BAIC. The Waigaoqiao Border Checkpoint implemented streamlined customs clearance measures, offering "zero waiting" upon arrival and "zero delay" upon departure, thereby facilitating efficient clearance services. Due to these measures, the vessel was able to quickly complete its loading and unloading operations before heading to the Middle East.

These measures have significantly improved the efficiency of the terminal's vehicle imports and exports, said Huang Ribao, executive director of the terminal's operations department.

"In 2023, the terminal saw an average of two to three Ro-Ro vessels departing daily, carrying nearly 3,000 vehicles to over 100 countries and regions worldwide. Over 800 Ro-Ro vessels benefited from the convenience of expedited customs clearance, saving companies more than 1,000 hours in production time and reducing economic costs such as berth fees, fuel costs, and labor expenses, totaling millions of yuan," he said.

In 2023, the terminal exported a record 1.025 million vehicles, after surpassing the one million vehicle mark for the first time in 2022.