Cosco Shipping Car Carriers (CSCC) has begun a partnership with Germany’s BLG Logistics to make the latter’s vehicle terminal at Bremerhaven Port the main entry point for Chinese vehicles to Germany.
BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven (ATB) will also be developed into a connection for onward transport to Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe, and markets in the Baltic states.
CSCC, a China state-owned company, said: “‘For Chinese manufacturers, Bremerhaven plays a crucial role as a port of entry into the European market.” It added that Germany was one of their most important saes markets.
The JV is aiming for a liner service that includes Bremerhaven with at least two calls a month. Bremerhaven has Europe’s second-largest vehicle transhipment terminal and claims to serve all major vehicle makers worldwide.
BLG Logistics will provide land-based services, enabling vehicle importers to obtain end-to-end logistics solutions from plants in China to dealerships in Europe
MD (sales) Axel Bantel said: “For an open handling port like Bremerhaven, it is important to adapt to current market developments. This means that we have to take into account the changing requirements of our traditional customers and at the same time create efficient logistics solutions for new importers.”
Mr Bantel said ATB handled around 1.5m vehicles a year, making it one of the largest car terminals in the world. Around 70,000 vehicles can be stored at the facility before being transported onwards by road, rail, or sea.
The JV comes five months after CSCC transported 1,500 vehicles to ATB on the car-carrier Liao He Kou’s maiden voyage.