The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a key logistics network connecting China’s western regions to global markets, has expanded its reach to 555 ports in 127 countries and regions.

With an operational hub based in Southwest China’s Chongqing municipality, this trade corridor connects global ports via railways, sea routes and highways through southern Chinese provincial regions such as Guangxi and Yunnan. The cargo service now covers 157 points in 73 domestic cities.

According to the data released on Thursday by the Chongqing Port and Logistics Office, more than 251,800 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of goods were transported through Chongqing via the trade corridor in 2024, with the total value reaching 46.7 billion yuan (about $6.4 billion), up 41 percent and 67 percent year-on-year respectively.

The number of rail-sea trains running through the trade corridor each year has surged from more than 900 in 2019 to over 10,000 in 2024, while the variety of goods has expanded from dozens to over 1,160 types, said Liu Taiping, chairman of the New Land-Sea Corridor Operation Co Ltd.

Relying on the fast and efficient corridor, specialty products from Western China, such as goji berry juice and red wine from Ningxia, oranges from Chongqing and tea from Guizhou, have become new growth drivers for local foreign trade. Additionally, the export of new energy vehicles from these western regions has accelerated, with local auto enterprises establishing factories in Southeast Asian countries.

Tao Liang, an official with the Chongqing Port and Logistics Office, noted that driven by construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, building of a modern collection and distribution system will be accelerated to promote the integration of logistics, trade and industry.

Source: Xinhua