PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, is a food-grade polyester used to manufacture plastics. It is traditionally transported by container ships, until the containers trade was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. To keep time and costs down, our clients requested us to instead transport PET by bulk carriers — the raw materials shipment nearing 8,000 tonnes recently made its way safely from the Port of Kaohsiung to the United States.

Bulk carriers are merchant ships designed for carrying unpackaged bulk cargo, which are usually loaded dockside. Taiwanese docks are narrow in size; goods are ferried to and from ships by trucks of limited capacity, requiring challenging maneuvers across slender landings. Leader Mutual Freight (LMF) spent over ten days coordinating the transportation and storage of the food-grade materials, encompassing tasks such as securing warehouse space near Kaohsiung port and utilizing special packaging to keep the cargo free from containment.

LMF’s handling of this PET shipment drew considerable interest from Kaohsiung port authorities. The Taiwanese harbor is well-versed in the routine of steel shipments, its largest export by volume, but remains unfamiliar with processing polyester, the transport of which comes with its own set of unique challenges.

Clients including Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Pepsi have booked bulk carriers through June 2023, for shipments departing from China and South Korea. LMF now has a one-stop service package for bulk carrier delivery, complete with partner warehouses and harbor crews in Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung.

Following the initial PET shipment nearing 8,000 tonnes, the second shipment left mid-January 2022 with 15,000 tonnes from the Port of Taichung. The third fleet of bulk carriers is expected to carry up to 100,000 tonnes.