Chongqing- The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) is a strategic channel to promote a new development pattern in the western region. It is an important link connecting the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, thus providing a critical bridge and guarantee for enterprises aiming to expand globally.

How can the role of ILSTC be further enhanced to help enterprises in Western China expand into the Belt and Road markets?

Zhang Xinghai, a deputy to the National People's Congress and founder of SOKON Group, has suggested the ILSTC becoming the best option for enterprises wishing to expand into markets along the Belt and Road, by the continued optimization of costs related to logistics and transportation, as well as the enhancement of competitive advantages.

He has pointed out that the  Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a comprehensive, modern, high-quality, and mutually beneficial free trade agreement that will greatly reduce costs and improve efficiency for inland enterprises engaged in foreign trade.

In the case of Chongqing, exported goods once needed 30 days to reach Jakarta using traditional shipping methods. However, the ILSTC has reduced this by around 10 days, while the efficiency of customs clearance procedures has greatly improved at the same time.

Thanks to the ILSTC, the turnover speed in logistics has been accelerated, which has gained valuable time for localized production and terminal sales.

However, there are still issues with the ease of customs clearance and efficiency in logistics and transportation. Most evident is the mutual recognition of international freight bills, as lading standards for various modes of transportation such as by land, rail and sea are not uniform in format. Based on general experience, only bills of lading for sea shipping from China are recognized internationally, which is not the case for land and rail, as some countries do not recognize them.

In response, Zhang Xinghai has suggested the government should make strong adjustments to the international logistics market to reduce costs.

At the same time, a unified billing system should be explored to facilitate the process of customs clearance, as well as the efficiency of logistics and transportation.

In addition, the capacity and reach of main transportation lines should be increased through accelerated railway construction and road network expansion. Such improvements will strengthen collection and distribution systems, enhance the functions of comprehensive transportation hubs, and make up for shortcomings in transportation infrastructure.