By LI Linxu

A novel shipping route set sail on its maiden voyage from Qingdao port to Ensenada port on May 19, demonstrating the ever-closer Sino-Mexican trade relations.

From Qingdao, the new shipping line will take about 20 days to arrive at the Mexican ports of Ensenada, Manzanillo and Lazaro Cardenas in sequence.

A total of eight container ships with a capacity of more than 4,000 TEU have been deployed for the line.

Qingdao Port. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

In the first quarter of 2024, Qingdao port's container throughput logged a year-on-year increase of 11.3 percent, thanks to double digit growth in cargo volumes from the North and South American routes.

With the launch of a new shipping line, it will provide a more convenient maritime passage for Chinese goods reaching Mexico, injecting new momentum into the two sides' maritime trade.

This year marks the 52nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Mexico, and also witnesses the 11th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Mexico comprehensive strategic partnership.

Bilateral trade volume between China and Mexico has increased by more than 7,000 times since the establishment of diplomatic relations.

In recent years, the trade relationships between the two countries have grown stronger. China has become Mexico's second-largest trading partner globally, while Mexico has become China's second-largest trading partner in Latin America.

Last year, the bilateral trade reached 100.2 billion USD, surpassing 100 billion USD for the first time, according to official statistics.