Chongqing - Bridging News Reporter visited Chongqing Highway Logistics Base and Chongqing Railway Port, respectively, on October 11 to explore how Chongqing leveraged its continuously improving logistics infrastructure and industrial advantages to reach prosperous cross-border trade.

Highway lorries cover Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia

At the highway logistics base in Nanpeng Town, Banan District of Chongqing, cross-border lorries are seen departing. Some lorries are bound for Southeast Asia, while others head west toward Central Asia, tracing the routes of their ancestors along the historic Silk Road.

On October 11, a cross-border highway lorry was pulling out of the logistics center. (Photo/Kenny Dong)

According to the logistics base manager, Chongqing's Cross-border Highway Regular Lorries operate 11 major transportation routes. These cover Southeast Asia as well as select parts of South Asia and Central Asia. Chongqing's automotive components are highly sought after by automobile manufacturers in these regions. In return, raw materials and agricultural products are imported to Chongqing through cross-border trains.

When compared to rail and maritime transport, road transport has a distinct speed advantage. Zeng Yi, Secretary of the Chongqing RCEP Investment and Trade Service Center, highlighted that cargo trucks leaving from Chongqing can reach Hanoi, Vietnam, in a mere 48 hours.

More importantly, the Chongqing Cross-border Highway Regular Lorries and China Railway Express complement each other. Zeng noted that when shipping products to various countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia, some European customers use the Chongqing highway logistics base as a distribution hub. Once the goods arrive in Chongqing via the China Railway Express, companies distribute the products by road transport according to the needs of customers in different regions.

According to statistics from the logistics base, from January to August this year, cross-border road transport saw a total of 3,090 departures with a cargo value of approximately 20.31 billion yuan, representing year-on-year increases of 87% and 113%, respectively.

China's first inland railway port for whole vehicle imports 

Rows of unopened cars sit neatly in the spacious warehouse area, awaiting quality inspections. Among them are Chongqing-made new energy vehicles and luxury brand cars imported from abroad.

On October 11, Porsche cars are being unloaded from the container. (Photo/Kenny Dong)

Situated in Tuanjie Village, the Chongqing Railway Port is China's first inland railway hub dedicated to importing whole vehicles. The port facilitates train journeys all the way to Duisburg, Germany, transporting Porsche cars manufactured in Bremen. While maritime shipping has traditionally dominated international logistics, inland railway transport has emerged as a viable alternative.

Zhu Yuan, the Vice General Manager of Chongqing Pan-European Railway Port Management Co., Ltd., noted that despite pandemic disruptions in international maritime shipping over the past two years, Porsche cars were still reliably delivered to China via the China Railway Express. This underscored the railway's crucial role in ensuring secure and uninterrupted operations for the company.

Porsche has recently extended its contract with the Chongqing Railway Port for an additional three years, planning to import between 6,000 and 7,000 cars annually into the Chinese market.

On the day of our visit, we observed Geely's Livan electric cars at the port, destined for export to Russia. Given Russia's challenging climate, electric vehicles haven't gained widespread acceptance there, resulting in a larger importation of gasoline-powered cars from Chongqing.

Annually, the total customs value of the Chongqing Railway Port exceeds 90 billion RMB, securing its status as a leader among inland ports. At present, four key railway routes originate from this port: the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor heading south, the Chongqing-Ningbo Railway going east, the Chongqing-Manzhouli-Russia Railway leading north, and the China Railway Express running west. Combined, these routes operate over 5,000 trains each year.