A train departs Yiwu, with cargo bound for Yemen via Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. [Photo/Tide News]

Fifty containers loaded with small commodities were hoisted onto a freight train at the Yiwu (Suxi) International Hub Port in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, on Aug 12, bound for Ningbo-Zhoushan Port.

The consignment is being transferred to cargo operator Sea Legend Shipping's ship on Aug 13 which will sail directly to the Port of Aden in Yemen.

This is the first sea-rail intermodal freight service connecting Yiwu directly to the Port of Aden through Ningbo-Zhoushan Port.

Yemen is one of Yiwu's key trading partners and over 1,000 foreign-invested businesses in Yiwu are operated by Yemeni entrepreneurs. Previously, shipments to Yemen required multiple transshipments across ports, taking up to 40 to 50 days.

Sea Legend Shipping is a Chinese-funded shipping company that specializes in container shipping services, particularly in the Red Sea region.

According to a company representative, it has realized a 19-day direct route from Ningbo to the Port of Aden. With this new sea-rail link, transit time from Yiwu drops below 20 days while slashing costs per container by over $2,000.

The company has also announced plans to launch an Arctic shipping route linking China and Europe in September. Departing from Ningbo, ships will be able to reach Europe within just 18 days, providing a more cost-effective logistics solution for foreign trade enterprises.

"We aim to create a cross-border logistics corridor that starts from Yiwu, passes through Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, and then directly reaches European countries through the Arctic shipping route," said Qin Wen from Sea Legend Shipping.