Chongqing- The 2024 Customs joint meeting to support the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) was recently held in Chongqing.

The meeting highlighted significant growth in the corridor's logistics operations over the first seven months of 2024. ILSTC rail-sea intermodal trains reached 6,529, marking a 23.5% increase. Cross-border highway transport surged to 1,709,600 vehicles, up 25.45%, while international trains totaled 5,979, a 39.86% rise.

Chongqing Customs officers inspect exported vehicles. (Photo/Chongqing Customs District)

The ILSTC's operations over the first seven months of 2024. (Graphic/Zheng Ran)

Chongqing, the ILSTC's operation center, has added over 100 new logistics routes in the past two years. This expansion has attracted more Belt and Road Initiative co-building countries to get involved, further fostering development along BRI and integrating the corridor into global trade networks.

The corridor's reach now includes diverse international goods flows. For instance, South African chrome ore and "Made in Chongqing" cars are now meeting at Chongqing's Guoyuan Port. Additionally, imported Laotian bananas and Tongnan's fresh lemons are being interchanged through Chongqing.

Chrome ore, a key cargo at Guoyuan Port, is predominantly sourced from South Africa and used in stainless steel production. Previously, transporting this ore to Chongqing involved a lengthy route through Shanghai and then up the Yangtze River, which was time-consuming and complicated by multiple logistical steps like stockpiling and emptying containers.

To streamline operations, Chongqing Customs District introduced the country’s first "sea-rail transport container chrome ore inspection and supervision optimization mode" last year. This model allows chrome ore to travel through a streamlined process from South Africa to Chongqing, with inspections conducted only at Chongqing Customs. This reduces multiple port inspection steps and saves over 1,700 yuan (about USD 239) per TEU in transportation costs.

Chongqing Customs officers assist businesses with freight deduction operations. (Photo/Chongqing Customs District) 

Additionally, this model eliminates the need for Shanghai entry, routing the ore through Guangxi's Qinzhou Port and reducing transit time to 28 days, a 20-day improvement.

"We are implementing 15 initiatives to enhance the ILSTC's vitality," said Zhao Ye, deputy director of regulations and integrated operations department of Chongqing Customs District. 

"These include the 'sea-rail intermodal container chrome ore inspection and supervision optimization mode, promoting the railroad express and implementing freight discounts for sea-rail multimodal transportation within the borders. These initiatives are designed to improve operational efficiency and boost trade exchanges," Zhao added. 

Zhao noted that in the first seven months of this year, trade through the ILSTC increased by 80%. Chongqing-made laptops have led global production and sales for eight years, and agricultural exports reached a five-year high, setting a new record.

Currently, the ILSTC connects to 523 global ports and has expanded its range of goods from 80 to over 1,100 categories, including electronics, vehicles, and machinery. This growth is driving a higher level of opening-up in the western region.