The first China-Europe Express (CEX) cargo ship, Kawa Ningbo, arrived at Germany’s Wilhelmshaven port on January 24, 2025. This marks the commencement of a new express maritime service between China’s Ningbo-Zhoushan Port and Germany, slashing the usual shipping time between Asia and Europe by nearly two weeks.
Operated by Kawa Shipping, a subsidiary of Zhejiang Seaport Logistics Group, the CEX service promises the fastest maritime shipping option from Asia to Europe. The Kawa Ningbo, a 2,495 TEU container vessel built in 2002 and acquired by Chinese interests in July 2024, embarked on this direct journey, completing it in just 26 days.
With a length of 656 feet (200 meters) and a deadweight tonnage (dwt) of 30,240, the Kawa Ningbo previously served under Wan Hai’s fleet. The CEX service, boasting no intermediate stops, directly connects the Yangtze River Delta to Germany’s JadeWeserPort, ensuring swiffer deliveries, especially for high-value goods like lithium batteries, automotive components, and solar energy products.
The Chinese government played a crucial role in this initiative. During a ceremony in Wilhelmshaven, Tao Chengbo, chairman of Zhejiang Seaport Logistics Group, emphasized the service’s significance in bolstering China-Europe trade ties under the Belt and Road Initiative.
This new service is anticipated to significantly boost trade at Wilhelmshaven, Germany’s only deep-water port. Marc-Oliver Hauswald, the port’s managing director, highlighted the port’s capability to accommodate all ship classes at any time and its strong rail and truck connections to other parts of Europe.
On its maiden voyage, the Kawa Ningbo carried 2,400 containers, including Chinese-produced lithium batteries destined for Hungary’s automotive industry. The cargo was efficiently trans-loaded from Wilhelmshaven to Budapest using full block train containers, as noted by Stanley Song, logistics manager at the Central European Trade and Logistics Cooperation Zone.
The CEX route navigates through the Suez Canal, a passage many shipping companies have been avoiding due to Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea. However, Kawa Shipping’s managing director, Maud Lau, assured that their vessels could safely traverse the Red Sea, escorted by Chinese naval vessels.
Zhejiang Seaport Logistics Group announced that the CEX service would initially operate once a month but plans to increase to a bi-weekly schedule by late 2025. Additionally, the company aims to replace the Kawa Ningbo with a larger 5,000 TEU vessel in the summer and introduce a transshipment service from Wilhelmshaven to the U.S. East Coast.
