Chongqing- This latest episode of Chongqing Opportunity explores the achievements and future potential of the Yangtze River Golden Waterway and the role Guoyuan Port has assumed in enhancing the multi-modal freight network, which has transformed Chongqing into a strategic international hub. 

When Chinese President Xi Jinping came to Chongqing on an inspection tour three years ago, one of the key roles he specified for Chongqing was to play a leading role in promoting the joint construction of the Belt and Road. As the largest multimodal transport hub port in inland China, Guoyuan Port has witnessed impressive growth in transport volumes on the China Europe Railway Express and New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, which serve as positive illustrations.

The Yangtze River flows through nine provinces and two municipalities in China and impacts the lives of around half the country's population. Chongqing Municipality is located in the upper reaches. It has positioned itself as an international logistics hub, with Guoyuan Port now leading the way in multi-modal transportation on the Yangtze riverbanks of Chongqing Urban Area.

Guoyuan is the only port-type national logistics hub in the western region. It has allowed Chongqing to form a trade bridge linking Central Asia, Europe, and the ASEAN market by combining the transportation modes of water, rail, road, and air.

The International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, China Europe Railway Express, and the Yangtze River Golden Waterway have been seamlessly connected through Guoyuan Port, thus providing export-oriented enterprises with high-efficiency, diversification, and low-cost logistics services.

Additionally, the Golden Waterway has played a critical role in the new development pattern of dual circulation. For example, goods shipped from Japan, South Korea, and domestic regions surrounding the Yangtze River Economic Belt can be distributed to Europe and ASEAN through the logistics hub of Guoyuan Port and vice versa.

In the future, the Yangtze River Golden Waterway is expected will play an important role in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership since the agreement came into effect on January 1, 2022.

Cargo Volume increases 50% over Spring Festival

Since the turn of the year, the cargo volume passing through Guoyuan Port has continued to hit new records. During the past Spring Festival, there was a 50% increase in volume compared to the previous year, which in practice amounted to over 16,000 containers.

In 2021, there were 20.871 million tons of cargo shipped through the port, which represented a 40.6% increase year on year. At the same time, it is projected that when the 14th Five Year Plan concludes in 2025, Guoyuan Port will have broken the 30 million ton mark in yearly cargo volume.

According to the production manager of Guoyuan Port, the level of activity can be seen as a barometer for economic development, even for the world at large. As the global recovery progresses, trade business in Southwest China is receiving ever more orders, which has increased the workload at Guoyuan.

Terminal facilities have been enhanced to speed up the rate of inspections and increase the port’s handling capacity. In addition to the yard and shore bridges, Guoyuan Port is now equipped with some of the most advanced equipment in China, such as the H986 machine, which can complete inspections for 200 twenty-foot long containers per hour.

Customs staff can now conduct non-invasive inspections for container shipments without the need to unpack, which has increased efficiency by a factor of twenty compared to traditional equipment.

It is estimated that by 2025, the hub area will achieve a cargo throughput of 30 million tons and a shipment volume of 1.2 million TEU containers.