Dar es Salaam Port receives state-of-the-art car carrier from China

Dar es Salaam. The Port of Dar es Salaam has set a new milestone after receiving a newly built modern car carrier, MV Grande Shanghai, which docked for the first time on September 21, 2025 from China on its maiden voyage.

Completed in July 2025, the vessel has a carrying capacity of 9,000 vehicles. Measuring 220 metres in length and 38 metres in width, it arrived with 1,624 units that included lorries, buses and small passenger cars.

Speaking during the reception ceremony on behalf of the Director General of the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), Acting Port Manager for Dar es Salaam, Mr Abed Gallus Abed, said the arrival of the ship was a result of major improvements implemented by the Sixth Phase Government alongside greater private sector involvement.

He noted that investment in modern equipment has enhanced the port’s capacity to handle large and diverse vessels.

For his part, the Operations Manager of DP World in Dar es Salaam, Mr Elitunu Mallamia, said the ship’s call was driven by market growth and improved efficiency at the port.

The arrival of MV Grande Shanghai signals Tanzania’s growing role in global trade and is expected to boost government revenues, attract new investment, and position Dar es Salaam as a regional hub for vehicle handling and cargo shipments in East Africa.