Chongqing - “We will rely on the advantages of port hubs, integrate logistics resources, construct a network of logistics corridors, and strive to build a shipping hub upstream of the Yangtze River,” said Zhao Guangping, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Chongqing Wanzhou District Committee, Executive Deputy District Mayor of People’s Government of Wanzhou.
April 25 witnessed a press conference held on an overall plan for promoting the coordinated development of Wanzhou-Dazhou-Kaizhou in the Sichuan-Chongqing region.
Multimodal transport of railway-waterway-highway
“Shipping transportation is currently the biggest advantage of Wanzhou,” said Zhao. “Wanzhou is historically one of the top ten ports in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, with Xintian Port, the largest deep-water port for shipping in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, with a designed throughput capacity of 35 million tons.”
Zhao continued that Wanzhou will focus on the multimodal transport system, develop multimodal transport of railway-waterway-highway and sea-railway multimodal container, and jointly strive to open the sea-river-railway multimodal transport corridor Zhoushan-Wanzhou-Dazhou to improve logistics and transportation efficiency.
Xintian Port is the largest deep-water shipping port in the Yangtze River’s upper reaches. (Photo/Chongqing Three Gorges Converged Media Center)
For example, for the Sichuan Dazhou Iron & Steel Group Co., Ltd., the procedures of Dazhou iron ore transport from Australia to Dazhou shall be like this.
First, it could be delivered from Australia to Shanghai by sea transportation and then shipped to Wanzhou by the Yangtze River corridor. After arriving in Wanzhou through the Xintian Port Railway Collection and Distribution Center, it will finally transport to Maliu Town, Dazhou.
Open corridors, platforms, and policies
“We will continue to advance the construction of open corridors, platforms, and policies,” Zhao said. “Wanzhou-Dazhou-Kaizhou will collaboratively utilize the opening-up corridor and leverage the functional role of existing ports.”
In June 2022, the Wanzhou Comprehensive Bonded Zone (Phase I) officially commenced operations. It has become the sole comprehensive bonded zone in northeast Chongqing, with an estimated annual import and export total of approximately 9 billion yuan (about USD 1.299 billion) and an annual output value of around 9 billion yuan.
As of April 4 this year, Wanzhou Comprehensive Bonded Zone (Phase I) has signed 11 projects, welcomed 15 enterprises, and completed more than 90 customs declarations for import and export goods involving countries such as Russia, South Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Chile, and others.
Wanzhou Comprehensive Bonded Zone is the only comprehensive bonded zone in northeast Chongqing. (Photo/Chongqing Three Gorges Converged Media Center)
Zhao added that 339 foreign trade registration enterprises had been registered in Wanzhou District. Six city-level export-renowned brands have been cultivated, including Tan Mujiang, a specialized company in small wooden products that combines grooming supplies and accessories.
Moreover, Wanzhou has established a national-level Quality and Safety Demonstration Zone for exporting pickled mustard tubers. The total import and export volume has risen from 730 million yuan in 2017 to 5.19 billion yuan in 2022.