A new shipping route linking Shandong province's Qingdao Port with West Africa began operations on Sunday, further strengthening trade ties between China and the African market.

The maiden voyage, independently operated by French shipping company CMA CGM Group, saw the vessel loading Chinese-made products before heading to West African ports, such as Tema Port and Lagos Port.

The launch marks the opening of Qingdao Port's second Africa-bound container shipping route this year.

With the new service, the port now operates 11 container routes covering East, West, and North Africa. The port has also built an integrated sea-rail logistics network in coordination with 32 international freight train routes, extending its services to 23 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

According to customs data, exports from Qingdao's ports to Africa totaled more than 43.56 billion yuan ($6.35 billion) in the first quarter of 2026, up 26.3 percent year-on-year. Among them, exports of mechanical and electrical products rose 37.4 percent, while high-tech products registered a 25.7 percent increase, highlighting growing demand for Chinese manufacturing and technology in the African market.