Customs officers inspect the imported stones at Haixiang dock. [Photo/Xiamen Daily]

Haixiang dock in Xiang'an district, Xiamen city has grown into a new channel for importing stones, local media reported on Aug 22.

According to Xiang'an Customs, as of mid-August, a total of 20 foreign trade ships loaded with 471 million yuan ($66.49 million) worth of imported stones have dropped anchor at Haixiang dock.

Xiamen port has always served as an important platform for stone trading worldwide. Haixiang dock is nearer to Xiamen port's source of stones, Nan'an in Quanzhou city, than Dongdu port, which could save roughly 30 percent in transportation costs for stone companies from home and abroad.

In the future, an increasing amount of stones are expected to be imported through Haixiang dock.

Haixiang dock opened to traffic in March of this year. Its water front extends 785 meters and has three 50,000-ton break-bulk berths for 50,000 to 70,000-ton cargo vessels.

Officials from Xiamen Customs said that Haixiang dock will welcome more businesses after passing a provincial acceptance inspection for open ports by the Fujian Provincial Port Office.