Launched four months ago, the vessel marks the modernization of Cosco’s fleet and an increase in transport capacity to the Orient
Just four months since it was launched at sea, the Cosco Shipping Brazil held its inaugural berthing ceremony at the Paranaguá Container Terminal (TCP) at 2pm on Monday (18). The event not only celebrates the entry of container ships on the ESA route, but also marks the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between Brazil and China.
Built in November last year, the Cosco ship is on the route that connects the East Coast of South America to the Far East, passing through Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Singapore and China. “The event celebrating the first call of the Cosco Shipping Brazil container ship in our country marks a significant moment in the transition of Cosco’s fleet on this route, which will bring larger and more capable ships, with the aim of serving customers who export to the Asian market more efficiently. Both TCP and the port of Paranaguá have been making significant investments and continuously structuring themselves to receive large vessels, in line with the strategy of several shipowners to renew their fleets of ships to meet the growing demand from the Brazilian market and especially from our region,” says TCP’s commercial manager for shipowners, Carolina Merkle Brown.
In comparison, the Cosco Shipping Brazil is a giant of the seas, with a length of 336 meters (LOA), a beam of 51 meters, a capacity to carry 14,100 TEUs (20-foot-long containers) and 2,100 outlets for reefer containers, used for transporting meat cargo, for example. The average length of the vessels on this route is 299 meters.
The inauguration event for its passage through Brazil was attended by various authorities, including the Vice-Governor of Paraná, Darci Piana; the CEO of the Port Administration of Paranaguá and Antonina (APPA), Luiz Fernando Garcia da Silva; the Commander of the Port Captaincy of Paraná, Anderson Brito de Melo; the Deputy Mayor of Paranguá, José Borba; the representative of Praticagem, Júlio Verner Nadolny; the Business Director of Portos do Paraná, André Pioli; and the Delegate of the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service, Gerson Zanetti Faucz. Also present were ZHU Bixin, President of Cosco Shipping; YU Peng, Consul General of China in São Paulo; FENG Bo, Vice President of Cosco Shipping; YANG Zhijian, Executive Director of Cosco Shipping Holding; TU Xiaoping, CFO of CMPort; BAI Chunhui, Counselor of the Chinese Consulate in São Paulo; TAO Weidong, General Manager of the Operations Division of Cosco Shipping; and JI Guoliang, Captain of the vessel Cosco Shipping Brazil.
After the speeches by the authorities and the playing of the Brazilian and Chinese anthems, the sash was cut and the first container was loaded, a symbolic act marking the inaugural berthing of the Cosco Shipping Brazil container ship. There was also an exchange of gifts during the celebration, as well as a performance of the traditional Chinese folk dance, known as the lion dance, which brought the event to a close.
The ceremony not only celebrates the diplomatic ties between Brazil and China, which will be 50 years old in 2024, but also highlights the fundamental role of these relations on the global stage, boosting economic development and strengthening cultural ties between the Brazilian and Chinese peoples.
