The ship that will establish the first direct connection between the port of Vitória in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo and a port in China leaves the Vila Velha Terminal on 1 July for Zhuhai, said the project superintendent of Codesa – Companhia Docas do Espírito Santo, Walter Arruda.

The Chinese vessel Tian Qi docked at that terminal on Tuesday, 27 June, and is due to leave on 1 July for the port Gaolan in Zhuhai, a region adjacent to Macau, with a cargo of 35,000 tonnes of granite.

Negotiations on this partnership began in 2010 and culminated in a mission from the state of Espírito Santo to Zhuhai in February.

Arruda also said the Tian Qi, which on this maiden voyage is carrying granite, will be adapted to be able to transport containers, “which will extend the type of products that can be transported in both directions.”

State Governor Paulo Hartung, quoted by the local press, stressed that the line will not only be used to transport ornamental stone, “as it was set up to complement the economy of the neighbouring states of Espírito Santo.”

The administrative and financial director of Codesa, Roberto Carlos Teles Braga, said that this Espírito Santo-China route is an opportunity to overcome the current crisis in Brazil and to make the port of Vitória gain momentum.