Chongqing – Chongqing has opened its first direct cross-border road freight route of the New International Land-sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) to Hai Duong, Vietnam, under the framework of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Cross-Border Transport Facilitation Agreement (CBTA). 

Officials explained that this breakthrough is possible because the CBTA—signed by China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar—harmonizes cross-border transport rules, allows mutual recognition of vehicle inspections and driver licenses, and reduces customs clearance times by roughly 30%. 

The first cross-border road-rail intermodal train (Chongqing-Ruili-Myanmar) of the ILSTC departed Xiaonanya Railway Logistics Center in Jiangjin District, Chongqing. (Photo/ Zhou Qi)

The inaugural truck departed on August 9 from the Nanpeng B-Bonded Logistics Center in Chongqing, cleared customs locally, and traveled via the Hekou border crossing in Yunnan Province. The 1,500-kilometer journey to Hai Duong was completed entirely in the same truck, without the mid-route unloading, container transfers, or vehicle changes that are common in traditional freight models.

The new service, launched shortly after Chongqing signed on to the CBTA, eliminates the traditional transfer steps in cross-border trucking and significantly shortens delivery times.

Developed under the GMS Economic Cooperation Program with support from the Asian Development Bank, the agreement harmonizes regulations, streamlines customs and immigration procedures, and establishes mutual recognition of vehicle inspections, driver licenses, and insurance. It is designed to replace the traditional "stop, unload, reload" model with a single, continuous transport process.

For Chongqing, the agreement's implementation directly enabled the launch of the Hai Duong route, providing the regulatory and operational foundation for moving cargo from origin to destination in the same vehicle under a single transport arrangement.

By removing multiple handling steps, the service reduces the risk of cargo damage, lowers operational costs, and delivers goods faster. Logistics operators estimate the new model can cut end-to-end transit times between Chongqing and Hai Duong by several days compared to traditional multi-leg shipping.

The new route also strengthens Chongqing's role as a logistics hub where the China-Europe Railway Express, the Yangtze River waterway, and the ILSTC converge. It gives manufacturers and traders in China's western provinces a direct, reliable channel to northern Vietnam and onward to ASEAN markets, complementing existing rail and sea routes.