Chongqing - The General Administration of Customs (GAC) recently launched 15 new initiatives to streamline logistics and cut costs along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), boosting Chongqing’s role as an inland hub and strengthening China-ASEAN trade links.

In the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, transfer trucks are moving containers at Chongqing Dry Port. (Photo/Huang Wei)

Chen Zongwang, Deputy Director of GAC's General Operation Department, emphasized the new initiatives, which build on last year’s efforts to enhance customs clearance, open up the service sector, and lower logistics costs.

To streamline customs clearance, the GAC will boost imports of bulk resource commodities via the ILSTC, enhance multimodal customs oversight through smart technology, and facilitate the development of a digital corridor with an integrated service platform.

The GAC will also promote synergy between trade and industry. Key measures include improving the classification and supervision of domestic and foreign trade goods at bonded logistics centers (B-type) to enhance business coordination and encourage industry transfers from eastern China to comprehensive bonded zones along the ILSTC to drive regional growth.

To foster the development of new trade models, the GAC is launching a pilot program for "inspection before crating," which aims to boost cross-border e-commerce and market purchasing.

The new initiatives also seek to extend the freight deduction policy for the ILSTC's domestic section, further easing the tax burden on freight costs for businesses.

"The ILSTC's network has expanded rapidly, covering more ports and a broader range of goods," Chen said. The corridor's logistics operations now include rail-sea intermodal transport, international rail services (China-Laos and China-Vietnam trains), and cross-border road transport lines linking China with Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar. Together, these services reach 542 ports across 125 countries and regions, transporting over 1,160 types of goods, from industrial products like automobiles to agricultural goods such as fruits and meat.

Customs data showed that from January to October 2024, China's foreign trade via the ILSTC reached 1.15 trillion yuan (about USD 160 billion), marking an 8.8% year-on-year increase. The number of China-Laos trains grew by 36.5% to 6,525, while China-Vietnam trains saw a 47% rise to 1,700.

From January to October 2024, China's foreign trade via the ILSTC reached 1.15 trillion yuan. (Graphic/Zheng Ran)

Wang Zhongwen, Deputy Director of Chongqing Customs District, revealed that following the first round of support measures in July 2023, Chongqing Customs became the first in the country to implement the freight deduction policy for the ILSTC's domestic section, reducing freight tax burdens by 60%. From January to October 2024, the policy helped 109 companies save 22.37 million yuan in freight costs and 3.01 million yuan in tax reductions.

Wang also noted that the ILSTC has created new opportunities for the export of Western China's distinctive agricultural and food products. In the first ten months of 2024, agricultural exports along the corridor from western provinces and regions reached 26.88 billion yuan, a 12.3% year-on-year increase. Notably, Chongqing's agricultural exports grew by 65.4%, and Shanxi Province's by 93.6%.

Looking ahead, Chongqing Customs will collaborate with Nanning and Kunming Customs to pilot inspections and quarantine procedures for imported fruits along the ILSTC, aiming to boost the import of high-quality ASEAN fruits. They will also conduct field research on extending the freight deduction policy from rail-sea intermodal transport to China-Laos and China-Vietnam rail services, continuing to unlock tariff reduction benefits.